Down the Untrodden Path
by XD
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto always gave the surprises, until a stranger by the name of Uchiha Sasuke came up one fine day to pronounce him 'my Prince'. Naruto thought he knew ridiculous. Thinking again suddenly seemed like a very good idea.
1. Prologue

NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead! Thanks Alissa, for helping out with the summary! 

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. You have been warned.

    
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Down The Untrodden Path   
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Prologue

    
    
"IRUKA-SENSEI! I'M GOING OUT FOR A WHILE!"

Even though he was on the first storey, tucked away in the deep recesses of the kitchen on the far edge of the room when Naruto had made that loud announcement from the second storey, the older man known as Iruka could not help but wince.

"All right, Naruto, I heard that!" He shouted back, knowing that he was unable to reach the boy's volume, but trying it anyway. "You don't have to shout the house down!"

"SORRY!" Came the apology, louder this time.

Iruka turned around from watching the soup boil just in time to see a ball of blond, blue and orange flash by the kitchen doorway. He wiped his oily hands absently on his apron while shouting, "Don't get into trouble, Naruto!" after the blond, blue and orange flash.

"OKAY!" The reply was fast, furious, and as loud as the previous declarations - even though Naruto was already halfway out of the door. Iruka shook his head, turning back to the soup. He tried to count the time before the city wardens marched through the front doors of this little inn he was tending to, to complain about another one of Naruto's harmless but utterly impish antics. Sometimes he wondered whether Naruto really listened to him or not.

Another flash of movement atop the rafters soon drew Iruka's attention away. He felt his eye twitch slightly at the familiar aura, though he did not make an attempt to speak up first. He waited.

And was soon rewarded.

"The clock has finally ticked to the end, Iruka-sensei," the low, dark voice of the shadowy figure held a slightly accusatory tone, "There's no more sand to spill from the upper chamber anymore."

"I know," Iruka's reply was firm, but even. He eyed the rafter, unflinching. "I'm glad."

The shadowy figure remained silent, as if hoping to read more from Iruka's expression. A slight shuffling sound, seconds after Iruka's answer, saw that the figure knew he could read no more, and had made that known by his speedy disappearance.

The oppressive aura gone, Iruka slumped, his palms pressing against the tabletop. Subconsciously, one hand reached upwards to cradle the pendant that was resting behind his work clothes, a flood of memories immediately invading his senses. He sat down on a chair, and put a hand upon his forehead.

"My King," he mumbled, fingers clasping the cloth-covered pendant tighter. "I'm sorry..."   
 

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"Watch out, watch out! Uzumaki Naruto coming through!" A blur of gold zipped rapidly across street after street, hooting his warning to anyone who would pay heed. Many indeed did, as could be seen by the increased number of people scowling and quickly ducking out of harm's way. Naruto wedged through all of them, grin brighter than the glorious sun in the sky. He loved being paid attention to. Smile or scowl, he took it all in his stride.

It was just another normal day on the immediate outskirts of Konoha Capital.

After hurtling through the whole distance he had wanted to travel, Naruto skidded to a sandy stop in the middle of the city's public square. He shifted directions and charged straight towards the centre of the square, spewing out warnings to make way at the top of his voice. The crowd gathered there obediently stepped aside, just so that they would not be bowled over by the impact. Most of them had had that experience at one point of time or another, and verily agreed that it was not something they wanted to go through again.

Thus, this left Naruto to grin widely at all of them - as he finally arrived at his destination - the city bulletin board. Behind him, the crowd that had parted to admit him started to clamour back, their suspended discussions back in full swing. Amidst loud murmuring and soft whispers, Naruto scanned the bulletin for the latest news.

He was soon disappointed to see that there were no new posters of wanted criminals. That had been his intention in the first place. The last one had been posted at least a couple of months ago, and the case itself was resolved within the week. This meant that Naruto had no chance to show the people his skills yet again. He pouted. He had trained really hard, too! Turning, he was almost ready to leave the area when he noticed the warden putting up one last poster.

Immediately after the warden left, a burst of excited murmurings flowed through the people. The low whispering became high, flurried debates. Naruto found himself slightly affected by the crowd atmosphere, as he read the headlines with mild interest.

"Coronation of the new monarch of the people in Konoha," he read out loud, and all around him those who had heard his voice nodded with deep agreement, "within seven days of this notice. All are invited to attend..."

"I won't be missing it!" Someone suddenly shouted out from the crowd.

"Yeah!" Another agreed. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing! You don't ever get to see the face of the monarch except on coronation day!"

Lively discussion soon ensued, everybody trading thoughts and bantering ideas about the poster. Naruto, though, remained silently staring at the board.

Finally, he wrinkled his nose, and tossed a question to the person nearest to him. "Oji-san, oji-san," he tugged at the sleeve of the person on his right - a stoic, bored-looking man with dark hair and darker eyes. Said man immediately snapped about to glare at the blond, who blinked in surprise. He was sure he had never seen this man before, less say pull tricks on him that would make him the target of such a vehement glare. He waited for the explanation that was sure to come.

"I'm not that old," the man informed Naruto tersely. And Naruto scowled.

"Sorry mister, you don't exactly walk around with your age stamped on your forehead, ya'know," he stuck a tongue out at the - in his opinion, rude, stranger. "Your huge, massive frown kindda makes you look like some grumpy guy who just got sacked from his job, in case you haven't noticed!"

The taller person looked like he was about to rebut, but settled for an incredulous, scolding look instead. "Yeah, whatever," he grumbled, pushing a few stray strands of hair aside. "What do you want, idiot?"

The blond bristled. Practically everybody in this town had called him an idiot at one point of time in his seventeen years of life or another, but for some reason, hearing the rude stranger say it hackled Naruto up more aggressively than anything. "You... you... bastard!" He screeched, adding to the noise that the crowd was already making. "Nevermind! I'm gonna go ask someone else who actually has /manners/! Jerk!" The blond mock spat on the ground and spun around huffily.

He would have walked away, had not the smug voice of the stranger teased him with, "What? Forgot your question already? Stupid."

The blond paused only for a split second. He turned and immediately tottered his way back to the stranger.

"You... are... very... VERY... irritating!" He growled in the boy's face. "You're not from around here are you? Huh?" He leered and pointed a thumb at himself. "Nobody messes with the great Uzumaki Naruto and gets away with it, so stay back and mind your own business!"

In response to that, the stranger eyed him with an unbelieving quirk of eyebrows. "You're right," he nodded solemnly, a while later. "It'd be a waste of time to be bothered with someone like you." The stranger lifted a hand, "Bye." and walked away, his parched, tattered cloak billowing about behind him.

It was only at this point of time that Naruto noticed how dirty and unkempt the stranger really was.

"Who the hell was that?" Naruto blinked, but the stranger had already dissolved into the mass of people. Shaking his head, Naruto settled on heading home, since his original purpose had been fruitless and he now needed to ask Iruka about something. Sighing, he moped away. Why couldn't life in this town be just that little bit more exciting?

As if on cue, a loud, piercing scream broke the eardrums of everybody gathered in the square. Immediately there was an obligatory silence, as everybody attempted to pinpoint the source of the sound. Nobody had to wait long, for the screech came again, louder than ever before. "THIEF! THIEF! STOP HIM! HE STOLE MY MONEY!!"

A flash of dark amusement immediately touched Naruto's eyes when he heard the word 'thief'. Glancing about himself, he soon found the lady who was crying out loud. The lady was on the ground, evidently having been pushed there by the thief. She was wailing and pointing down in a direction, where a man in plain, pastel clothes was running away in. As it was rather chaotic, no one had yet moved to help. Naruto quickly bounded after the man, snickering to himself. This was a chance in a lifetime for him to show his skill and make himself a hero! He nimbly squeezed past the throng of people and was soon hot on the heels of the flustered mugger.

"Give it up, pal, you're not getting away from the great Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto yelled after the man, who panicked and tried to run faster. It proved to be his undoing, for by then they were zig-zagging around a strip of narrow side alley, where trash and litter of all sorts abounded. The man tripped dramatically over an obtuse trash bin and crash landed in a pile of plastic rubbish. The other people who were looking out through their windows or walking along adjacent alleys stopped to look, surprise written on their faces. None, however, stepped out to help.

"Hahah!" Naruto was unconcerned. He held his hand over where his scabbard usually was poised. "Don't move, buddy! Unless you want to face the wrath of the-...!"

The moment of triumph rapidly descended into embarrassed despair. Naruto groped the thin air by his side, where his sword was supposed to be, and realised belatedly that in his rush to go out this morning, he had forgotten to bring his weapon along. The colour drained spectacularly from his face.

There were many people staring at the scene now, and if he didn't do something /smart/ soon, he was going to leave the alley a dishonoured boy. The man was still struggling to distangle himself from the rubbish, so he had a bit of time, although not much. He glanced about himself frantically. There had got to be /something/ he could use to subdue the thief with!

He took great care to scan for inanimate objects, so he skipped the faces of people who were staring. Soon he chanced upon a lifesaver. A sturdy, wrapped hilt resting within a jewelled sheath, hanging upon the waist of one of the persons nearby. He dove.

"Sorry buddy! Lend me your sword for a while!" He managed to say, pulling the medium-length broadsword out of the sheath before the owner could protest. He whistled lowly at the gleaming blade that came out from the sheath, marvelling at how it was translucent yet still swirled with so many beautiful colours.

But since it was not the time to be getting needlessly obsessed with a blade, Naruto swung expertly at the thief, who had just barely managed to poke his head out from among the huge amount of rubbish. He positioned the sharp tip of the sword at a vital part of the thief's neck. "Don't move," Naruto grinned, much too happily for someone who had another at sword-point, "if you don't want to get hurt!"

From behind Naruto, the stomping of boots of the city wardens could be heard. The thief tried to glare Naruto into submission, but Naruto only grinned wider. Knowing his fate was sealed, the thief then gulped and resigned himself. Some of the wardens were already in clear sight, having finally caught up with the criminal.

Within the next few seconds, the thief was rounded up, arrested, and had to surrender his stolen ware. Naruto grinned even wider, happy to see justice done. The chief warden - a lazy looking man with half his face hidden in a black mask, approached him and smiled at him. It wasn't obvious with his mask that he was smiling, but when someone's visible eye crinkled like that, it was almost for sure that he was smiling. "Naruto. You again." He said, voice surprisingly clear despite a cloth covered mouth. "Very soon you can stand in front of the station and become our official mascot for fast crime-busting."

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto rubbed his nose with a thumb once, flushed with pride. "But if you haven't given me those extra lessons on how to wave a sword properly, I wouldn't have been able to get him right where I wanted!"

Kakashi nodded amicably. "Glad to see that I haven't been putting my energy to the wrong use."

Naruto nodded, then pouted at a sudden remembrance. "Although Iruka-sensei still doesn't like to see me swinging a sword around." He complained. "He doesn't say it but I can see it in his eye! He thinks I'll cut my hand and bleed to death or something!" His head turned upwards in a deft show of defiance. Coupled with his protruding lower lip, Kakashi could only scratch his head sheepishly, wondering how a late-teenager boy could make himself look so utterly childish.

"He'll understand one day," Kakashi promised, having heard this same complaint for many years. "Until then, Naruto-kun, I'm afraid I'll have to rejoin my comrades. I'll see you around," he waved, then jogged towards where the rest of the wardens were deep in discussion. "Nice sword, by the way!" He shouted back at Naruto after going a small distance. Naruto nodded in instinctive acknowledgement, allowing his glance to trail after the wardens wistfully.

He turned, about to move away, when the heavy weight in his right hand and Kakashi's final words startled him back from the daze. He gave an gasp when he looked at the sword he was holding. This was certainly not /his/ sword. Suddenly remembering what he had done, he jerked his head upwards to try to locate the person he had borrowed the weapon from.

It was not hard, for everybody else had begun to move back slowly into their routine walking. Only one person stood rooted to the spot, staring at Naruto like he had grown fangs, claws and nine tails. Naruto ran up to him and brandished the sword. "Sorry 'bout that!" He tilted his head and smiled. "No offence, okay? It was an emergency, as you could see, and... OH HEY!" He leapt backwards suddenly, releasing his hold on the sword, which fell to the ground with several loud metallic clangs. "You're that stupid jerk from just now!"

At the address, the dark-haired boy from just now snapped out of his stare. He frowned, scrutinising Naruto with alarming intensity. "Idiot." He huffed under his breath. In a louder voice, he continued, "My name is Uchiha Sasuke..."

"I told you to stop calling me an idiot!" Naruto screeched. The name Uchiha sounded rather familiar, though he could not presently remember where he had heard it from. Sasuke ignored him, choosing to bend down and pick up the abandoned sword. He calmly held it, staring at it with great fascination; turning it about here and there, testing its sharpness with his fingers and swinging it a couple of times. There was a glint of curiosity in Sasuke's eyes, and Naruto could not understand why.

"What the heck are you doing?" The blond frowned. "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought this is the first time you've ever seen the sword."

Sasuke regarded him seriously. He calmly sheathed the sword and walked towards the boy, aura blazing. Naruto gulped and wanted to step back, but that would mean he was afraid, so he stood his ground. It was a relief therefore, when Sasuke stopped three steps away from him. "Naruto..." the boy pronounced carefully. "...Naruto, is your name, right?"

Something in Naruto's sixth sense tingled, and now he /really/ felt like running away. "Ye-Yeah!" He tried to put up a brave front. "So what if it is?"

Sasuke flipped his cape aside and was down on one knee faster than Naruto could blink and run away.

"These five years of wandering have not been in vain," said the Uchiha, head bowed and one hand across his chest in a show of respect Naruto wondered when he had earned. The jewelled sword was thrust under Naruto's nose, and Sasuke continued, "Please accept the Sword of Jewels and be restored to your original position upon the throne, my Prince. The nation awaits your ascension."

Later, when Naruto looked back at that particular moment in time, he would realise that it was the first, and only time, that someone managed to shock him into such a long period of silence and inactivity.   
    
    
  

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28/10/2004   
tougenkyou . net / xd

a/n   
I swear, by the moon and the stars in the sky, by the shadow that's by your side (especially yours, Halig), that this fic has not been completed yet. :D Therefore, you shall feel the full throttle of my procrastination. Oh, and maybe have a bit of fun reading on. ...I hope. XD


	2. Chapter One

NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!

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Down The Untrodden Path  
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Chapter One

"Umm..." Naruto finally uttered, scratching his whiskered cheek. "... You... you're joking, right? This is just another one of those Pull-Naruto's-Legs days, isn't it?" He giggled, bending down to slap Sasuke on one shoulder. "Okay, I'm veeeery amused, Sasuke. So why don't you, like, roll over and pull the other one, huh? Ahaha!"

Sasuke lifted his previously bowed head up to frown at Naruto. He looked irritated, to say the least, but then again, ever since Naruto first saw Sasuke, Sasuke had /always/ looked irritated. "Are you serious?" The more sombre of the duo asked. Then as an evidently unwilling afterthought, added, "...sir?"

"Huh?" Naruto managed to garble after a while.

"'Roll over and pull the other one'," Sasuke recited monotonously, his head bowed once more. "Was that an order?" There was silence. "If you will officially accept the Sword of Jewels, I will do whatever you command me to."

The scary part was, that there was absolutely no hint of joking in Sasuke's voice at all.

And what was scarier than that was, that Naruto actually considered accepting the sword /just/ to see Sasuke 'roll over and pull the other one'.

He snapped out of his delusional thinking soon enough, shaking his head furiously so that the image would unstick itself from his mind. "NO!" He said loudly, causing Sasuke to look up at him again. "NO! NO NO NO! NO no no NO NONOOO!! Sasuke, I think you are OUT of your mind!"

The Uchiha obviously disagreed, seeing how he had a doubtful look on his face. "Or did your guardian not inform you of your status?" He enquired, still ostensibly polite, although there were traces of frustration along the edges of his faux tone of voice. A little while later, and his dark eyes showed that he had drawn his own conclusion; especially so after Naruto replied him with a confused stare. He rose to full height, and faced Naruto levelly. "That must be it." He grabbed Naruto's hand and began to lead him out of the alley. "Come on. Show the way. We need to talk with your guardian."

"Hey, wait!" Naruto tried to wrestle his hand away from Sasuke's grasp, but soon realised that the Uchiha's grip was stronger than it looked. "HEY!" He shouted at Sasuke, who remained oblivious. "Stop! Stop! STOP! Just what the hell do you think you're doing?! You're so damn strange, you know that?!" He screeched, not caring that they were now traveling along a wide main road and attracting stares from every single passer-by. "One moment you're going, 'Hey Naruto, say anything and I will listen to you!', and the next moment you're like 'Hey idiot, show me the way to your house coz I need to talk with your pops.'! Just what the hell is wrong with you?!"

Sasuke did stop this time. He threw a smirk backwards at the blond. "You're not my Liege yet until you officially accept the Sword," he jeered. Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"Well I'll accept it /now/ just so that you can shut that smart-ass mouth of yours up!" Naruto shouted, lunging for the sword Sasuke had hung back at his side at the same time. Sasuke easily held it out of reach. That and the fact that he had Naruto down firmly by a wrist - meant that Naruto was at a drastic disadvantage with promises of imminent disaster.

It was to no one's surprise, therefore, when the blond tripped and fell forward, only narrowly missing hitting the floor because Sasuke was holding him in balance by his wrist. "Idiot." Sasuke scolded mildly, earning him another death glare from Naruto.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" The blond shrieked, trying to roundhouse kick Sasuke in the face. The Uchiha quickly and prudently let go of Naruto's wrist, so that the shorter boy fell face first into the sand beneath.

He watched impassively as the boy coughed and spat sand out from his mouth. "You won't be getting the Sword from me like that," he commented airily.

Naruto thought he could hear slight disappointment amidst the sneering tone Sasuke had used, rendering him silenced for a while. He soon pushed himself into a sitting position and stared at Sasuke funnily - his anger completely spent. "I don't think I've ever met a lunatic as weird as you," he grumbled nevertheless, unhappy that none of his insults appeared to be ruffling the Uchiha's feathers.

"One minute you're nice and polite and right the next minute you're thoroughly stark, raving mad." The blond picked himself up from the floor, all the time still staring at Sasuke, who stared back. After patting away the dust on his pants, Naruto stuck a lower lip out at Sasuke and turned abruptly. "Okay, okay, I get it. You wanna see Iruka-sensei, right? We'll go see him. I bet it's because he has some medicine for your crazy antics, huh?" He gestured rudely at the slightly bristling Sasuke. "Come on, bastard!"

"My /name/ is Uchiha Sasuke," the taller teen reminded Naruto darkly.

"Yeah yeah," the blond huffed, as if he didn't care at all. "Bastard."

"...Idiot."

"...Jerk!"

"Dim-wit."

"Lunatic!"

"Brainless."

"...Ass-kisser!"

"Hah. Ass-/wiper/."

"HEY!"

"Loser."

"YOU!!"

"Dead-last."

"ARGH!"

"Total moron."

"SASUKE!!"

Naruto's hollering possibly reached the ears of everybody within a ten mile radius.

It was just another normal day on the outskirts of the Konoha Capital.

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They soon entered into a quaint, quiet neighbourhood, Naruto still ranting away at the morose, silent Uchiha. He had switched from bickering with him to boasting about how great he was and what great services he had done for the people of the town. Sasuke had chosen to stop paying attention to the blond a long time ago. As he stared at the straight path they were walking to, he found his eyes immediately taking note of the new surroundings.

The street was rather void of human life, compared to the main street adjoining it. The majority of the shops were smithy of sorts, with the occasional provision shop sprinkled along the long lane only once in a while. There were no street vendors - surprising because the enterprising vendors usually set up store everywhere and anywhere there was space to hawk their wares. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, out of instinct. The street was too quiet and peaceful for it to be normal.

Naruto appeared to notice Sasuke's unease. "This street has been like that since I knew what was going on," he commented with a wave and gesture. Sasuke stared questioningly at him, so he continued, "it's like nobody likes to come here to sell stuff. Which is strange," the blond pouted. "My street is not as scary as they think it is, I swear!"

"Could it be that somebody's keeping this area under watch so that dangerous people cannot come in and out as they will?" Sasuke suggested.

"What for?" Naruto shrugged. "Nothing that valuable around here." He put his hands behind his head, lower lip protruded. "But even without the street vendors, the people living in this lane aren't lacking anything! We have all the provisions we need, all around us! Isn't that cool?" He grinned at Sasuke. "I can tell you that no other street in this town is more well-planned than this one!"

Sasuke snorted. "That goes without saying." He muttered. Noticing Naruto's strange glance on him, he looked purposely away and folded his arms across his chest. "Well? Are we there yet?"

The mood suddenly tensed up again, with Naruto almost growling at the other boy. "Hey! I'm doing you a /favour/ here!" Naruto yelled, shaking an unhappy fist at Sasuke. "The least you could do is to be more /polite/ about things!"

"I'm polite," Sasuke said monotonously, "to people who are polite to me."

Naruto really did growl aloud this time. "Well I'd bet nobody is polite to you at any rate then, since your bastard-ness obviously isn't a very good motivating force for anybody who wants to try to be polite! HEY SASUKE! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!"

It would seem like Sasuke was not, for he had departed from Naruto's side to examine a pillar that had its shop name inscribed on it. As the shop was closed and boarded up at the moment, it was rather difficult to tell what it sold. Naruto pattered softly behind Sasuke, squinting along at the signboard.

"That's the shop of the old uncle who sells weapons," he remarked casually. Sasuke turned slightly to look at him from across the shoulder. "I think his shop name was something like... Van... van..."

"Vangarde," Sasuke finished for him, his hand ghosting up and down over the sign almost burnt black fondly. "They've been providers of royal weaponry from since the very first Hokage."

"Huuh..." Naruto blinked. "Well whoever they provide for, they make really good stuff!" He grinned, pointing a thumb at himself. "My sword was made by them too!" Came the proud declaration. "Free of charge too! I bet it's because they could see what a great warrior I was going to become, hahah!"

A swift knock on his head forced Naruto to stop cackling. He held his head and looked up, just in time to see Sasuke walking away nonchalantly. "Where's your house already," the taller boy was saying, sounding rather urgent for some reason. "We need to get there NOW."

Angry but amused, Naruto grumbled under his breath for a while. "Over here, you big-sized jerk!" He called out to the rapidly disappearing Sasuke. Not waiting to see if Sasuke heard, he turned and walked in the opposite direction, arriving at a rustic, weathered but clean shop that stood out from the moody grime and dirt of the smithy and armouries surrounding it. Footsteps behind him told him that Sasuke had caught up, and he was disturbed at the Uchiha's speed. A little voice in his head told him that he should be more disturbed at how at ease he felt around the stranger he had barely known for two hours, but his emotional side shut the logical side up.

If Naruto felt comfortable around someone, whether it was a person he had known for days, years, or decades, then he felt comfortable around someone. There was no step by step guide to how to get Uzumaki Naruto to trust you, talk to you, quarrel with you, or otherwise stick around you.

Although Uchiha Sasuke was, for some unknown reason, rapidly becoming one of the prime examples for reference.

"IRUKA-SENSEI, I'M BACK!" Naruto yelled into the quiet, secluded inn tucked inconspicuously along the rows of weaponsmith and armoury shops. Sasuke followed, stepping over the wooden curb. He found himself in a spacious, cooling restaurant cum inn lot. There were no customers around yet, but it could be because it was still early. The morning birds were still chirping from their trees outside.

"IRUKA-SENSEI!" Naruto was squealing again, although he was already halfway through to the kitchen. Sasuke winced, wondering why Naruto felt the need to be so unnecessarily loud.

Following the blond's lead, the duo soon arrived at the kitchen, which was separated from the main dining area via a doorway and a thin piece of cloth.

That was not the real attention-grabber, though. It was the smell that assauged their senses immediately upon entry that was. Sasuke was almost bowled completely over. He frowned when his stomach growled. He had forgotten when was the last time he had a proper meal.

"MMM!!" Naruto, on the other hand, took positive action. He breathed in huge breaths, as if believing that he could fill his stomach by just sniffing. "Today's meal smells great too, Iruka-sensei!"

Through the steam that was floating about through the room, Sasuke could see Naruto running up to a person standing at the other corner, stirring a large pot. The person turned around just as Naruto tackled him from behind like a small boy, and gave a yelp of pain. "Watch it, Naruto!" the man scolded. "You almost pushed me into the soup!"

"Sorry!" Naruto sheepishly touched the back of his head.

"Well just help me tend the counter for a while," the older man was saying, turning back to the soup. "I'll bring some food for you later."

"YES!" Naruto whooped. "Ramen?"

"No," was the quick reply. "You're going to eat something healthier." Naruto's face fell at that notion. "Now get out, you're distracting me."

"Okay..." Naruto glumly acquiesce. His head had barely turned away, however, when it shot back to looking at Iruka. "Oh wait! Iruka-sensei!" He gestured wildly, making the guardian slightly perturbed. "Do you have any medicine around?"

"Medicine?" Iruka's features turned from perplexed to alarmed. "What?! Did you get into a fight? Are you hurt? Are you bleeding? Are you-"

"Calm down, sensei!" Naruto grinned, stepping to one side to reveal that there was a figure hidden behind him in smoke and food fume all this while. "It's this guy over here!" He pointed rudely with a huge, toothy grin. He lowered his head and voice immediately, so that only Iruka could hear the next words, "... you may not believe me by just looking at the dude, but Sasuke's actually a stark, raving lunatic who goes around bowing to people and calling them prince! He really needs medication, sensei! I know you got all kinds of medicine and stuff, right? Just give him something so he can leave me alone! Umm... Iruka-sensei? Are you listening to me? Sensei?"

The older man was oblivious to Naruto's gentle probing. He gaped openly at the person behind Naruto, previously veiled with steam.

"Hello," Sasuke greeted, bowing slightly. When he looked up, he made sure he caught Iruka's eyes in his own swirling red ones, before continuing, "Royal Guardian."

Iruka's breath caught in his throat. The spatula he was using to stir the broth just now clattered to the ground noisily.

He had seen those spinning Sharingan before. There was no mistaking them.

"Uchiha..." Iruka gasped, his eyes wider than saucers, "... Itachi..."

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1/11/2004  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	3. Chapter Two

NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! You have been warned.

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Down The Untrodden Path  
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Chapter Two

Naruto was the first to do anything after Iruka's shocking declaration. He elbowed Sasuke, who was standing behind him, conspirationally in the ribs. "Hey," he whispered, not knowing why he was whispering, "I thought your name was 'Sasuke'?"

Sasuke gave Naruto a sidelong glance. If Naruto did not know any better, he would have thought that Sasuke was pouting slightly. "I thought my name was 'Sasuke', too," he stated monotonously in a quiet voice. Aloud, he said, while turning back to look at Iruka in the eye, "I see you are acquainted with the Royal Bodyguards, but unfortunately, I am not Itachi," he shook his head, refusing to elaborate further. "Sir, I think you know what I'm here for."

Those few words snapped Iruka out from his trance. "Not Itachi..." he breathed, almost in relief. Then he sobered up and tried belatedly to put on a stern front. "Your name is Sasuke, you say?" He grabbed a scoop ladle from somewhere nearby and pointed it at him. "Well, I don't care what you're here for, get out of my kitchen! It's off-limits to unauthorised personnel!" He waved the thing around threateningly. "Get out! Now!"

Confronted with the strange makeshift weapon, Sasuke did take a couple of small steps back out of pure reflex. Naruto alone was confused at the sudden change in mood of situation. He flailed his arms about wildly, leaping in between Iruka and Sasuke. "Wait! Wait! Iruka-sensei, wait!" He then proceeded to grab his guardian by the sleeve. "What's going on? Why are you so angry?" He frowned. The Iruka he knew would never chase someone out of the kitchen with threats of true malicious intent. Not especially if it was someone Naruto brought in. "Sasuke may be a little out of it, but he's actually pretty okay! We can trust him..." he snuck a glance at the impassive looking Sasuke, standing two steps behind him. "...I think."

It was as if Iruka had just noticed that Naruto was also in the same room. His eyes widened slightly, and he grit his teeth, putting a hand to his forehead. "Naruto..." he started, "...you shouldn't trust others so easily! There are too many things in this world you don't know about, so... so..." the next words were initially caught in Iruka's throat, but he shook his head and said them anyway, "...please stay out of this for now!"

At that, Naruto's breath hitched. It was like someone had just struck him hard in the gut there and then. He stiffened, fists clenched by his sides. "Well I probably /would/ know about more things if you had actually /allowed/ me to get out of this boring hellhole and explore the world by myself when I asked you if I could!" He stomped a foot on the ground. "You don't even think I can handle swinging a sword around properly! I'm old enough to take care of myself, but Iruka-sensei doesn't trust me at all! That's why I-"

"Naruto, enough!" Iruka roared, pointing the ladle at his charge this time. "Go back to your room and stay there!" He gestured angrily at the exit of the kitchen. "You don't know the full picture, so don't jump to conclusions. Go!" He waved. "Don't get in the way!"

With his head bowed and hair covering the major part of his eyes, Naruto's expressions could not be accurately read. Sasuke remembered vividly, though, that when the blond turned and violently stormed out of the kitchen; his mouth was curved downwards in an angry scowl. His teeth were gnashed against each other - top against bottom, in evident frustration.

The Uchiha faced the so-called royal guardian in full. They stared at each other through the rising kitchen steam, neither taking the initiative to say anything for a long, long time.

--

When Naruto next woke up, the rays of the setting sun was just crawling through the holes in his straw window blind and there was the soft pattering of raindrops against the wooden walls outside his room. He sat up on his bed, disorientation setting in for the first few seconds. How and why had he fallen asleep in the afternoon? Was the foremost question on his mind. Instinctively, he swung his feet over the bed and hopped onto the floor, going over to where the basin of water was in the room.

As he prepared to use the water to rejuvenate his brain activity, he paused, staring at the basin. It was only about a quarter filled with water, which was strange, because Iruka usually filled it up with water just before daybreak. At that thought, however, Naruto's brain gears jolted into action. "Iruka-sensei!" He remembered how he had had a spat with his guardian some time ago, which led to his angrily storming back to bed to sleep off the rumbling rage within. That was probably a few hours ago. "...and Sasuke!" By now, any thought of washing his face was abandoned entirely. Naruto scrambled quickly out of the door.

Now that he was calmer, he knew he had to speak to Iruka about the matter again. He also realised tardily that he had left Sasuke alone with Iruka when he rampaged away just now. Sasuke, whom Iruka seemed to have an unexplainable animosity towards. He hoped Iruka had not made mincemeat out of the stranger yet - and that if he had, that Sasuke was not /too/ out of shape to be recognised.

Turning a sharp corner on the corridors, Naruto clung to the railings and slid down the stairway, landing on the ground floor with a final, mighty leap. There were already a few people in the main hall, having their meals and chatting away. The evening hired helpers for the restaurant were already there, some of them waving at Naruto as he brushed by them. He caught hold of one who just came out of the kitchen and asked, "Hey, is Iruka-sensei inside?"

The helper shook his head. "He headed back to his room early. Looked like he was rather depressed about something." Someone shouted him from across the hall, so he grinned and pat Naruto on the shoulder. "I need to go now. You go check out on your guardian, okay?"

Naruto nodded, and the helper moved away. Then he remembered something, and shouted out after him, "Hey wait! Is that dark-haired guy in a tattered cloak with these really fierce looking eyes," Naruto used his fingers to align his eyelids so they now looked like cat-slits, "still somewhere around?"

The helper blinked at him. "I haven't seen someone like that around since I came..." he answered, after a short while of thinking. The shouts from across the hall became more harried, so he started to jog on the spot. "Sorry Naruto I really need to go now. Later!" He zoomed off, before Naruto could get another word in edgewise.

Naruto only took a quick split second to recover. His face was set in determination, as he dashed up the stairwell back to where the living quarters of the inn were again. After the initial bout of spur, he felt like he now knew what to do and say before Iruka.

All that was left to do, was for the guardian in question to be found.

--

Although Naruto did not manage to locate Iruka, even after literally ransacking the entire inn and the shops right next to it, he did come stumble across another rare find when he peeked out of the window of Iruka's empty room during his second round there. The window itself was nothing spectacular - it was closed when Naruto went there the first time because of the rain. The second time he was there, Naruto decided to throw the windows open, just for the fun of it. It would be amusing to see Iruka's reaction upon finding a large pool of rainwater beneath his window when he came back.

The rain was not that strong yet, but Naruto knew that would change in half an hour or so. It hardly rained near the capital, but when it did, it usually rained hard and long. Naruto sighed, leaning his elbow against the pane and letting a few stray drops of rain fall upon his nose and cheeks. It was as he was about to leave the window and exit the room when he caught sight of it from the corner of his eyes. He rubbed his eyes and took another look, wondering if he was seeing things. A smile slowly spread across his face, an indication that he was had concluded that he was not seeing things. He hurriedly left the room, running with stomping, purposeful steps towards his new destination.

He left the window open, but he also grabbed a couple of umbrellas from the rack beside the door.

--

Sasuke had found a spot outside the back alley of the inn where he could curl up and rest in. There were two clay lion statues placed on either sides of the door post of the inn back door. They were lined up against the wall, so along with the wall the statue formed a nice, cosy corner which Sasuke was currently curled up in.

He sighed, while looking at the skies, allowing the cold, unabiding rain to fall onto his face. It was not as bad as it seemed. After all, he had slept through even worse terrain in much worse weather before. Turning to look at the ground, he closed his eyes, content to let things be for now. The weather was bad, and the situation was rather dire - but he had found the target of his mission - nevermind the target was an idiot. All that mattered now was that he had found him. There was hope for the Palace after all.

Footsteps began to near him. A lone shadow slowly stretched over him. Sasuke was unconcerned; he had long grown used to having wary eyes on him due to his less than conspicuous choice of resting spots. One could only do so much with so little money, after all.

Although he ignored the presence coolly, Sasuke could feel that the person had no intention of moving on anytime soon. He opened his eyes, finding himself staring at a pair of feet clad with worn out sandals. He wondered briefly where he had seen those sandals before, still adamantly refusing to give heed to the newcomer. Then suddenly, he felt the rain being shielded away from him. All around him, raindrops fell upon the dry gravel and malnourished grass patches. But he no longer felt any falling upon him. He was naturally curious. He glanced upwards.

"Hi!" Naruto's chirped brightly, with an equally bright beam. He had an opened umbrella in one hand, which he was holding over both himself and the seated Sasuke. Without waiting for Sasuke to get over his shock, Naruto stooped to Sasuke's level and held out his other hand, which was holding another umbrella - this one folded. "Thought you might be needing this."

Still in slight shock, Sasuke accepted the umbrella without a word in reply.

His shock was amplified when Naruto walked over to his side and promptly crouched down beside him in a squat, tilting his umbrella so that his face was partially revealed to the pouring skies. "What're you doing out here anyway? What did Iruka-sensei say to you?"

The name seemed to be the magic word, for Sasuke snapped out of his surprise and turned his head away from staring at Naruto. He scratched his head slightly. "Say...?" He sounded rather moody. "More like threaten... Though I don't think I caught two words out of his entire rant." He shook his head disapprovingly, grasping his umbrella handle and pushing the device outwards so that the umbrella opened up completely. He held it over his head. He did not say anything else.

Naruto used the silence to scrutinise Sasuke from top to toe. "Anyway," he eventually said, shrugging casually, "you look like you're okay now, so why are you still hanging around? You got something to do in this town?"

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto with disbelief etched across his features. "I can't go unless you come with me." He stated impassively, not a change in his tone, not a shade on his face.

This caused Naruto to groan, while using his bent knees as a makeshift desk of sorts that he could bang his forehead in exasperation against. He rocked on the balls of his feet until he leaned backwards completely, against the wall behind him. "Pray tell, great Sasuke, where exactly do you intend to bring me to?"

"The Palace," Sasuke answered, without a break in momentum. "We need to get you back by the end of this week." There was a rare spark of hope and determination in Sasuke's otherwise dead-looking eyes.

Naruto stared suspiciously at Sasuke. "Don't tell me it's about that stupid Prince thing again."

Sasuke nodded.

"You really have got the wrong person," Naruto sighed, standing up and stretching. Sasuke was still seated, though he did look up at Naruto. "I've been staying in this town all my life! If I really /am/ some prince or another, why would I be living in the dumps, working hard for survival?" He grinned down at Sasuke. "I should be in that Palace you're talking about, having the time of my life, don't you think?"

There was silence, as Sasuke continued staring at Naruto. "You really don't know anything." He said, softly. More to himself than to anybody, but Naruto heard it all the same.

Naruto frowned at what he had heard. He acknowledged that he was slow in some aspects of life, but he was not so slow that he could not sense that there was something big that nobody was letting him on, at the moment. Sasuke's persistence was also admirable for someone he assumed was insane. He knew he could probably get answers from Sasuke if he asked, but Sasuke seemed rather secretive about the entire affair. There was really only one way to find out, so Naruto extended a hand out towards the seated Sasuke.

"Come on," he grinned, slightly irked that Sasuke's expressions remained poker despite his best attempt at a sunny smile. "Let's get back under a roof first. This rain is going to really become a storm by the time night arrives!"

Sasuke's glance next alternated between Naruto's outstretched hand and his face. He snorted, turning away, refusing to take up Naruto's offer of help - getting onto his feet by himself instead. He ignored Naruto completely, turning away from the boy, already walking towards the back door inn. Once there, he pushed it open easily and entered the courtyards within without a second word, leaving Naruto to gape at his disappearing form.

After Naruto gaped for a while more, Sasuke's head poked out from behind the doors. "What're you waiting for, moron?" He asked, nonchalantly. "You should be leading the way and helping me get accustomed to the area," the perfectly suppressed tone of voice was marred by the sudden tinge of mischievousness in Sasuke's final word, "idiot." Thereafter, he vanished back behind the doors - his words adequately declared.

Naruto first felt a tick appearing on the back of his head. Then, the blood vessel that ran through his forehead from temple to temple blew up with a strength that could explode ten strong buildings into powder pieces.

"GODDAMMIT SASUKE!!!!!" The bellow of rage echoed into the heavens and beyond. "STOP INSULTING ME! SEE IF I DON'T PUSH YOU INTO THE WELL AND SIT ON IT WITH A HUGE ROCK!"

"I'm looking forward to seeing you try."

"WHY YOU..."

Amidst the havoc, and the rain that was getting steadily stronger, neither Naruto nor Sasuke noticed the pair of watchful eyes that had been trained upon them all the time.

The same pair of eyes that had been following them from since their chance encounter by the alleys of the marketplace.

"There he is..."

--------------------------------------------------------------  
31/12/2004  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	4. Chapter Three

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! You have been warned.

--------------------------------------------------------------  
Down The Untrodden Path  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter Three  
****

  
Kakashi leered gleefully and turned the page of the bright orange book he was holding.

After months and months of endless waiting and endless pining, the new volume of Icha Icha was finally out on the market. This explained why he was currently crouching in a dark, dingy corner of the dilapidated shack situated at the very end of the back garden of the capital's constable headquarters. He snickered to himself for the umpteenth time that day, as he read a particularly disturbing sentence involving various methods of head dissection he had yet to come to know about. Perhaps he could regurgitate this in explicit details to scare the next criminal he would be in charge of interrogating. Another snicker escaped his lips. Being the chief of constables was so much fun.

"KAKASHI-SAN!!"

...except, of course, when he had to deal with this one client in particular. Attention momentarily interrupted, he glanced up from his book. The shout just now had sounded rather far off, so he was probably safe for now. Kakashi sighed. He hoped his subordinates would be powerful enough to stop the rampage. At least, until he was safe and away from the zone of danger. He did not want to spoil his good mood by having to deal with the enraged tutor of Naruto when it was almost time to knock off.

All hopes of escape flew out of his mind, however, when he heard the sound of destruction getting closer and closer to where he was hiding. Just outside the hut, he could hear muffled shouts - and was that a scream? - from all directions. Before Kakashi had time to adjust his weight and thus hightail out of the run-down shack, a single body of one of his subordinates crashed through the wooden door beside which he was crouched, flying spectacularly into the wooden crates stacked near the door.

As the crates were old and termite-infested, they broke into a few thousand splinters immediately upon force of impact. The poor constable was also - thankfully, knocked instantly unconscious.

Kakashi sighed. He briefly wondered how much the medical fees the rampage would come up to this time.

From the now opened door, poured light of the afternoon into the musty old shack. A shadow, following footsteps that were harried and determined, quickly claimed the light. When Iruka stepped into the room, the air stilled. Kakashi was still crouched with his book, and he lifted a casual eye up to stare at the furious looking Iruka.

For his part, Iruka had been glancing about wildly around the room when he entered - not realising Kakashi was crouched low beside the wall near the door. Once Kakashi looked at him, though, he noticed the attention. Following the prickly feeling in his skin, he found the nonchalant chief of constables, crouched and reading a book that was unlikely to set a good example for all the citizens of the land who looked up to the chief as a perfect, model example of chastity and responsibility.

"Yo!" Kakashi greeted simply, one hand upraised. "Dropped by to return me the money you still owe me for that table you destroyed two weeks ago, Iruka-sensei?"

After a brief, deceptive silence, the smack of a teacher's rod against bare skin could be heard - three blocks away from the shack of origin.

--

"No one uses this corner room," Naruto was saying, while opening the door that led into a small, neat, but empty-sounding room. Sasuke stepped in quietly after him. The blond continued, "so you can stay here for the time being. I'm usually the one checking the rooms on this particular hallway, so you don't have to worry about Iruka-sensei suddenly appearing, either! Good deal, huh?" He grinned at the impassive Sasuke.

Sasuke grunted something approvingly in response. He stepped forward, into the middle of the room, where there was a wooden square table and four chairs arranged around it. From there, he examined the room. One corner had been blocked by folds - the designated corner for changing and stuff like that. The corner opposite it was occupied by a single, simple bed. In between the two items, was the wall, where a window to the outer world hung. Sasuke finished the appraisal of this room by looking up at the ceiling. If he had to make a quick getaway, the ceiling would be the best choice, he noted to himself.

Turning to the still grinning Naruto, he said, "Thank you," in a dull, bookish tone. Like he used the phrase because it was a step-by-step reaction procedure taught to him by a textbook. "For an idiot, this is not bad thinking," life returned to Sasuke's voice when he said this, along with a knowing smirk.

Naruto stopped grinning. His face became a cross between anger and exasperation. Throwing his hands up in the air, he yelled, "That's it! That's IT! You're staying here for tonight and that's ALL, you hear?" He pointed angrily at the Uchiha, who was currently more interested in shrugging his dirt-covered cape off than listening to what Naruto had to say. "Then you go back to your heroic wanderings and I'll go back to my training and everything'll be back to normal," Naruto nodded sagely to himself, folding his arms across his chest, "just like it always was!"

Sasuke dropped his tattered cape to one side, looking at it with slight horror and slight fascination. Had he really been walking around with such filth? "And you're going to come with me, right?" He asked, loudly and clearly, after Naruto finished his pronouciations. He sat himself down on a chair by the table and started to peel his boots off.

"Nope, not going with you," Naruto's reply was devoid of his usual exasperation. After all, he had gone through this with Sasuke enough times so that the situation was no longer new to him. Although he had to give credit to the Uchiha for not being able to get the hint at all. Without waiting to hear what else Sasuke had to say, Naruto turned to exit the room. "You stay in here and don't go out, otherwise Iruka-sensei will find you and we'll /both/ get into deep trouble," he shuddered, as if remembering something unpleasant. "I'll bring you water to clean up and some food. And if I find any clean clothes I'll bring it up as well. Only for tonight though! And don't break anything if you know what's good for you!" Naruto wagged a teacher-like finger before his face, bottom lip upturned, likely disturbed by the other's lack of response. He shrugged, then slipped out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Leaving Sasuke alone with the hushed silence of the room, dark eyes focused on the door which Naruto had just gone out from - thoughtful and solemn.

--

"Iruka-sensei, that was really uncalled for, don't you think?" Kakashi sighed, while pressing an ice pack to his left cheek, which was now smarting, thanks to a powerful point-blank whack from the thin slope of a teacher's rod. He was now in the inner hall, seated across the very person who had given him the sore spot on the cheek. "Whatever it is you think I have done to Naruto this time, I have not. You can ask the little fellow himself," he held a hand out in a mock gesture. "Royal tutors shouldn't jump to conclusions just like that, you know."

"I know," was Iruka's cool reply. He sipped the cup of tea he had been served. "That particular blow was for the reading of unwholesame material during the course of work and duty, setting the /worst/ example a constable chief could for his subordinates." He stressed, to which Kakashi sighed again.

Iruka had always been unnecessarily worried about how Kakashi's porn-reading habits would have a bad influence on Naruto, who constantly hung out around the chief. Not that Naruto wasn't already a rather cheeky boy himself, though he doubted Iruka knew that. He wondered briefly if Naruto had demonstrated his newly perfected Oiroke no Jutsu on Iruka yet. Probably not. If he had, then Kakashi wouldn't be sitting here, sipping tea with the guardian. He would most likely be running like hell and utilising all the known camouflage and teleportation Jutsus in the world.

"And for issuing a /restraining order/ on me!" Iruka continued, slamming his cup down on the table, making Kakashi look on the floor sheepishly. "What crime have I committed to warrant an action like that, sir?" The smile Iruka was giving Kakashi was unnerving.

"Well," Kakashi, however, was not in the least bit fazed, although he did find this whole thing quite a big bother. "If you hadn't barged in to the headquarters once every month or so demanding to see me and thus interrupting the constables in their work, it would not have been necessary, I'm sure."

"Only because you simply refuse to leave Naruto and me alone," Iruka pointed out. "And what work? I always made sure I dropped by during break periods!" Shaking his head, Iruka poured himself another cup of tea. "Except today, but today is an exception!" He paused, downing the tea in one huge gulp.

"Oh, really?" Kakashi removed the ice pack from his face and set it down on the table. He touched his left cheek, wincing slightly, now knowing better than to mess around with the scholars of the court. Who knew what other fantastic feat they could achieve with harmless looking items of study? "Care to share what great event happened today to bring you down to the constabulary in such a fluster?"

Iruka's eyes flashed. "Come off it, Kakashi-san," he maintained his polite tone of voice, "you were the one who sent him, weren't you?"

"..." Kakashi wondered how to phrase his reply, which eventually turned out to be a rather befuddled, "...huh?"

"You were the one," Iruka pressed on, both palms flattened on the table, eyes narrowed, sentence sure, "who sent Uchiha Sasuke to Naruto."

There was an exact second of silence.

"Uchiha..." Kakashi's eyes widened slightly, ".../Sasuke/?!" He rose to his feet. "You saw him? You saw Uchiha Sasuke?" It was the first time since their long acquaintance that Iruka had seen Kakashi looking so alarmed. Naturally, therefore, he was also slightly affected.

"The boy came through the inn doors a couple of hours ago," Iruka was slightly taken aback by Kakashi's unexpected reaction. "An hour or so after you left from my kitchen ceiling, anyway," he snorted slightly at that particular encounter. "It doesn't make sense to me why the royal family would send an Uchiha after Naruto, when Tsunade-sama will be crowned by the end of this week, though," Iruka frowned. He noticed that Kakashi was steadily getting paler and paler in the face.

"Of course it doesn't make sense," the constable chief ran a hand through his hair, trying to stay calm. "Because the royal family sent no such person after Naruto."

Iruka had no idea how he got over his initial shock, but he did. "But he..." he managed to stammer, amidst his surprise, "...he was... he had... Sharingan..."

"Sharingan..." Kakashi frowned. "...then he can't be an imposter... it really is him..."

"What's going on, Kakashi-san?" Iruka felt a rising panic from within. Kakashi had stood and gone over to the weapons rack, drawing out a long, sharp blade and sheathing it by his side. He turned around, his face graven.

"You left the palace to tutor Naruto ten years ago, so you may not be aware. The royal bodyguards - the Uchiha clan," a painful glint took over his eyes for a split second, "has been eradicated. Orochimaru ordered it."

"I am aware of the massacre," Iruka spoke quietly, from the background. "I was also told that there were at least a few survivors - one of whom being Uchiha Itachi, the clan genius Orochimaru used to wipe out the clan..."

"You are generally right on that count," Kakashi shouldered his patrol pack, which consisted of a few Jutsu scrolls he thought might be useful, "except that there weren't /a few/ survivors." He gestured for Iruka to follow, and the tutor did. "There were only two. And only because Orochimaru permitted it."

"That means that Sasuke is working under Orochimaru?" Iruka gasped. That would put a whole new perspective onto the matter. And that certainly meant that the next time he saw Sasuke, the boy was as good as died or captured and locked up. He followed Kakashi out of the door and entered the main hall, where the several chatting constables there were instantly hushed and dispersed off quickly to their workstations. "What does the tyrant want with Naruto?! Does Tsunade-sama know of what he's been doing behind the throne?" Iruka continued to ask.

"Orochimaru may have nothing to do with it this time, I'm afraid," Kakashi was obliged to answer. They crossed the main courtyard quickly and arrived at the double-leafed front door, which was pushed open for them by the two constables stationed there. They stepped out. "Uchiha Sasuke disappeared from the palace three years ago, taking along with him the Sword of Jewels - the only item that can verify whether a person truly belongs to the royal line. Since then, no one has been able to locate him, or the Sword."

All around the hastily travelling duo, people retreated to the sides of the streets. It was not, after all, every day, that they saw the chief of their constabacy stalk down the street looking like the next person who crossed his path would end up very painfully dead. "Iruka-sensei," Kakashi continued to speak, "did Uchiha Sasuke tell you what the purpose of his visit back to the capital was? And so close to Tsunade-sama's coronation, too?"

At that, Iruka's eyes became slightly downcast. "Yes, he did," he murmured, and Kakashi stared at him expectantly. "He said that he's here to bring Naruto back to where he rightfully belongs... before it's too late..." He laughed. "He kept harping on the same thing you did, Kakashi-san, which was why I thought you sent him."

Kakashi shot Iruka an amused but slightly bothered look. "Did he have the Sword with him?" He inquired, as they turned a corner into a deserted back alley.

"I did not notice," Iruka shook his head. "I was much too afraid of him to notice what he had or was wearing."

Kakashi blinked in surprise. He had known Iruka to be a brave man who would spit in Orochimaru's face if push came to shove. "Why were you afraid of him?"

It took Iruka a long time to sort his feelings out and find the answer, before which even he himself had not known why. "Because he had the eyes..." he glanced up at the heavens, which had began to open its floodgates upon the earth, "...of someone who had gone into the deepest pits of the abyss... and back. Someone... who will not let /anything/ stand in between him and his ultimate goal..."

Only the sounds of the passing rain and their own footsteps accompanied the duo, as they continued on the last leg of their journey, towards their unknown destination.  
****

--------------------------------------------------------------  
6/1/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	5. Chapter Four

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! You have been warned.

--------------------------------------------------------------  
Down The Untrodden Path  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter Four

"Sasuke!" Naruto knocked on the door furiously. "Sasuke! Wake up! Come on! Open the door!" He continued banging against the door, over and over. Sasuke, who had been seated by the window, gazing at the waxing moon outside, turned his annoyed face towards the source of noise. He straightened his face and walked towards the door, releasing the latch and pulling it by the handle.

From outside, Naruto tumbled uncermoniously into the room, almost short of falling flat onto the ground. He recovered his balance quickly, then shot Sasuke a glare. "Took you long enough, asshole!"

The Uchiha stiffened, obviously bothered by Naruto's namecalling. "You didn't have to knock so many times if it hurt your dainty little hand, moron." He turned his head away and folded his arms across his chest. "I wasn't even asleep."

"Well I-" Naruto wanted to retort, and thus get into a long, drawn-out argument with his newfound but very strange friend, but he shut his mouth as soon as he opened it. "Wait, now's not the time for that," he shoved Sasuke deeper into the room and used one of his feet to kick the door shut. "Sasuke! The chief of the constables is heading this way along with Iruka-sensei!" His loud shouting now became a frightened whisper. "I don't know /what/ Kakashi-sensei is here for, but if Iruka-sensei sees you, he'll definitely ask Kakashi-sensei to grab you and lock you up... and maybe lock ME up as well!" He shuddered at the thought. "So do both you and me a favour and hide somewhere in this room until I tell you the coast is clear, okay?!"

Sasuke stared at Naruto for a long time. "Kakashi is the chief of constables?" He finally muttered, a brief instance of innocent surprise flashing by his normally dull, lifeless eyes. "From since when?"

Naruto took a moment to decide whether Sasuke was merely pulling his leg about the question. Kakashi's appointment and subsequent arrival at the small outskirt capital town was well known among those who lived there - but Sasuke, as Naruto remembered, was not from anywhere nearby.

"Yeah, he's the chief of constables. He's pretty young for a chief, but that's why he's the best!" Naruto grinned, deciding it would do no one harm to answer Sasuke's question. "I think it's been around two years since his appointment. And he's been teaching me how to wield the sword ever since he came! Bet you he sees the /real/ talent in me, not like Iruka-sensei, heh heh!" He struck a valiant pose, proud. It had been Kakashi who asked him first if he wanted to train under him. If it was not talent that Kakashi spotted in him, then what could it be, right?

Sasuke sighed, from somewhere to his right. "And so the chief of constables is coming. For some reason you have no inkling about. And you think that if your guardian sees me, he will request the chief to arrest me, someone whom he sees as an intruder and a pest," he knocked Naruto on his head slightly, "and you're still here, boasting about your non-existent imaginary feats instead of going out there to at least try to intercept them." He shook his head. "Idiot."

Although confused at the initial sentences Sasuke had been saying, due to the nature of sarcasm and the rarely used phrasing, Naruto caught the final word rather sharply. "Hey! Stop calling me that!" He waved a fist before Sasuke's face. "At least I'm not heaving out you into the main hall, turning you over to Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei immediately!"

There was question in Sasuke's eyes. "For what?" He raised a thin, delicate eyebrow in smug apathy. "For coming into the house invited? For lending you a sword when you needed to strike a bandit down? For quarreling with the royal guardian? For calling you an idiot?" He snorted, while Naruto bristled. "I hadn't known those were crimes worthy of getting the highest ranked constable in the land to come down to personally apprehend me." The shrug that followed came along with an infuriating smirk. "In any case, you won't be able to hand me over based on /those/ grounds..."

"NARUTO!" Iruka's muffled voice came from somewhere across the same hall, cutting off Sasuke from whatever else he had to say and setting Naruto from rage into instant panic.

"AAAH!!" Naruto's dipped his strained voice into a harsh whisper. He pushed Sasuke back deeper into the room, while he himself retreated back to the doorframe, holding the doors by their edges. "Just shut up and stay hidden, okay? If Iruka-sensei ever finds out that I've been hiding someone he threw out, he'll cut me into pieces and feed me to the crows! NOT a cool way to die!"

"You don't have to be afraid of him," Sasuke's reply was calm, serious, and held a slight tone of anger and frustration. "He shouldn't hold this kind of power over you."

Naruto was just about to close the doors when Sasuke uttered all of that, so all that was left visible of him was through a thin, open line of space through the doors. Still, that thin line alone was enough for him to flash Sasuke one of his brightest grins. "I'm not /afraid/ of Iruka-sensei, Sasuke," the grin dissolved into a smile, "I respect him and don't want to make him unhappy. There's a difference, you know," the blond stuck his tongue out at the stunned Uchiha. "See you later!" He whispered finally, before closing the door with a firm click.

Sasuke's mouth was opened - caught between wanting to reply and wishing to stay silent. He contemplated Naruto's words. "Respect... ?" He found himself whispering quietly. His eyes swept past the empty room. The empty room which reflected his inner soul. Walking towards the window once more, he gazed at the moon, nearly full, but not quite there yet.

That gaze soon turned wistful. "Do I listen to that man out of fear... or respect?" His hands clenched the frame of the window as he spoke, thoughts clouded with images of the distant past.

As he moved to turn away, the moonlight slipped past his form and fell upon the item laying by the side of the bed, causing it to sparkle. Sasuke looked at the Sword, the encrusted jewels glittering along with the evening star, wondering what it was trying to tell him.

--

"NARUTO!!" Iruka decked the boy in the jaw once he skipped and hopped into the room Iruka was in. Kakashi watched with an upturned eyebrow, as the blond gave a yelp of surprise and crash landed into the wall beside the door, after skidding the entire length of the room. Oblivious to the attention, Iruka continued, "When will you start growing up and stop playing tricks on others, you little prick?" He pointed at the huge puddle of water that was gathering below the window sill. "The window was /closed/ when I left the inn. And there's only one other person I can think of who can access my room and would pull a stupid prank like this..."

"Oh come on, sensei," Naruto had peeled himself off the wall he had been lodged in, rubbing his sore nose gingerly. "It was just a harmless joke! It's not like water is /that/ hard to clean from the floor, you know..."

"Naruto..." Iruka's voice was quieter now, but still bore the same dangerous edge it had when he had been shouting violently just now. "...do you really think that the floor was the /only/ thing that got wet?"

Naruto blinked. "Yeah?"

"Fool!" Iruka pounded Naruto on his head once - hard. From his other hand he waved a stack of writing paper that were half wet and smudged with ink. "The accounts for this month have been destroyed, thanks to you!" He smacked Naruto on the head again, this time using the wet stack of paper. And Naruto allowed it, momentarily stunned how the prank had done something quite contrary to his initial expectations. He gulped, once the weight of the matter sank into his brain. Messing up the accounts meant that he would have no pocket money until they were straightened! This was certainly a disaster!

"Iruka-sensei," the bored, careless voice of Kakashi interrupted the foster father and his foster son in the middle of their tirade. When both Naruto and Iruka turned to look at him questioningly, he continued with a smile, "Where did you last see this 'unwanted intruder' in your grounds? I'd like to make a sweep around that area to see if there's anything suspicious, if you will permit."

It was like a spell of peace, for the room was instantly silenced, and Iruka drew back from hitting Naruto on the head with the paper. "Oh, right," the guardian was saying. He took a step back and looked out through the open window. The rain was simmering, but it was still there. "Somewhere out there, along the back alley wall," Iruka pointed, and Kakashi nodded to indicate he was listening. "That was where I last saw him."

"Saw who?" Naruto blurted out, before he could really think. A second after he said the words, however, he regretted asking at all. He knew who Iruka was referring to, after all. Now he only hoped that he sounded naturally curious enough so as not to get any of the two adults to suspect anything from him.

Thankfully for him, neither did.

"Nothing, Naruto," Iruka's eyes were clouded when he said that. "Stay out of this. Kakashi-san," he looked expectantly at the constable chief, who smiled.

"Be patient, Naruto," Kakashi pat the boy on his head softly, "Iruka-sensei will tell you everything when the time is right."

"Kakashi-san!" Iruka gasped in disbelief. But Kakashi was already gone, a trail of smoke and wisp of wind the only signs of him having been present at all. Iruka shrank back slightly, closing his agape mouth. Behind him, Naruto merely stared at his guardian. Wondering what Kakashi had meant.

Wondering what Iruka was keeping from him.

--

Kakashi found the back alley very quickly. As he bent down to examine the grass near the stone statue, he was distinctly aware, from the prickling feeling on the back of his neck, that he was being watched.

He kept that clearly in mind, while noticing that the grass he was currently examining showed signs of having been flattened recently. Someone had been here. Probably had sat here for a short period of time, judging how the grass showed no signs of being sun-deprived. After storing that fact away in his mind, he rose to full height, scanning the area around the alley carefully.

The sensation that he was being watched creeped in again. And this time, it was stronger. As if more were watching. He tightened his grip around his weapon hilt instinctively. Not a moment too soon it was, for from within the shadows of the alley from the next lane, came forth a stranger, clad from top to toe with dark cloth. The same dark material masked his lower face, from the bridge of the nose downwards. Kakashi only had time to glance once into those callous, laughing eyes, before his hand automatically swung upwards with his sword to block the attack that came swiftly and mercilessly from the stranger.

A loud, metallic 'shing' exploded into the night, mixing with the soft pattering of the rain to produce a melody of danger. Kakashi deftly deflected the weapon that was against his, forcing the assassin to rebound backwards in a somersault. Once more Kakashi saw the eyes, now set a frown and glare, before they moved swiftly forward again. Readying his weapon, as well as a Jutsu to defend, the constable chief was surprised when - as the stranger reached the immediate area of reach in front of him, he leapt instead of attacked. He leapt cleanly over the surprised Kakashi, and perched steadily upon the tiled roof of the walls of the inn.

Kakashi spun around quickly, catching the stranger in the eye one last time. Against the steady glow of the moonlight, the silver-haired warrior was able to make his final evaluation of the enemy and his weapon, before he leapt off the wall, and right into the courtyards of the inn, disappearing from sight.

"A sword made from bones..." Kakashi whispered to himself, frowning magificently. Revelation hit him "...Tch!" He cursed, when he realised that the assassin was now inside the compound where Naruto and Iruka were.

With a burst of speed and Chakra, he disappeared from the alley, racing towards the inn, hoping he would be in time to stop the bloodshed that was bound to follow.  
****

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9/1/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	6. Chapter Five

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! You have been warned.

--------------------------------------------------------------  
Down The Untrodden Path  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter Five

"Make sure the whole place is clean before you go to bed!" Iruka commanded, from where he sat at the counter. He kept a watchful eye on Naruto, as the boy muttered under his breath and scrubbed at the dirty wooden planks of wood that made up a substantial part of the hall floor. "And after cleaning the hall, you still need to clean my room, AND copy out the smudged accounts so I can tally them by this week!"

Naruto sat up quickly. "Sensei! I can't possibly finish all of that by tonight!"

"You can do the accounts through the week," Iruka waved Naruto's complaint off easily. "But the cleaning MUST be done by tonight, or no sleep! And no going out tomorrow to check the public boards either!"

"What has this got to do with that?!" Naruto exclaimed, while still hard at work with keeping his hands on the stain on the ground. When he saw Iruka's unflinching facade, however, he knew it was pointless to argue. "It's not fair, Iruka-sensei!" He whined.

"It will be when you learn to stop playing silly pranks on other people!" Iruka shot Naruto's whine down - all too used to his methods. "Naruto, you're already sixteen! Please grow up!"

"Sure!" Naruto suddenly chirped, grabbing a nearby broom and brandishing it into the air. "If you let me learn how to fight from Kakashi-sensei, then let me take the royal constable exams, maybe I /will/ grow up and become somewhat useful to society besides making them laugh and cry at the same time with my pranks!"

Iruka wanted to say something in retort - probably something negative, but was stopped short when a rush of cold, antagonistic air entered the main hall. It sped past him and headed for Naruto, who had also noticed the malignant presence.

It took Iruka all his years of training and experience to be able to shout for Naruto to duck while leaping forward in a magnificent feat of speed and agility. He met the attacker as he was about to swing his sword down and cleave Naruto cleanly into two. His dagger intercepted the attacker's blade, and he threw the attacker away.

As the assassin skid across the room, still in an attacking pose, Naruto scrambled to his feet and held his impromptu weapon - the broom, in place. He was not afraid, for he had gone on enough secret missions with Kakashi to know how to deal with a battle if he ever was in one. It was also a little too late to be looking around for a proper sword now, so he had to make do with what he had.

"Who are you?" Naruto heard Iruka asking the stranger, who did not reply. The stranger glanced sidelong as his weapon, which was growing green and purple at one particular spot - courtesy of Iruka's poisoned dagger. Naturally Naruto was surprised. Since when did swords get affected by biological chemicals?

There was no time to ponder further, for the enemy discarded the failing weapon and swiftly withdrew another from somewhere within his robes. Iruka's eyes went as wide as Naruto's. It was obviously the first time either of them had seen a swordstyle like this. Neither knew how to react.

It was a good thing for them, therefore, that Kakashi chose that precise moment in time to poof into the main hall with a loud sound and a lot of smoke. The mysterious assassin covered his face immediately and frowned. Iruka took the chance to quickly gesture Naruto to one side, so that they were away from the line of danger.

Once the smoke cleared, Kakashi turned to face the assassin. "Your target is Naruto," he spoke, no question in his tone. "Who sent you?" Kakashi then asked, voice clipped and serious.

The assassin remained silent, defiantly glaring at Kakashi - as if pondering his options. Eventually, he drooped into a slouch. Without any fanfare, he tossed a smoke bomb into the midst of his opponents. Once it exploded, smoke filled the hall from floor to ceiling. Kakashi shouted for Iruka to watch over Naruto, and Iruka made sure he did just that. Kakashi himself tried to keep a pinpoint on where the assassin's aura was, but only succeeded in reading that the stranger had gone out of the inn and fled into the night. The smoke dissipated without anyone getting hurt.

But the dark-clad assassin was gone, only leaving behind the one weapon he had discarded - broken and swollen.

"A bone sword..." Iruka gasped softly, upon closer examination of the weapon. He picked it up, eyes wide with fear and recognition. "The same weapon that..." He quickly stopped himself, making the resolute shine return to his eyes. "I thought that clan died out a long time ago!"

"Well, you thought wrong," Kakashi mumbled, willing himself to scrutinise all corners of the hall, in case something else was left behind. Satisfied with his examination, he slowly walked over to where Naruto and Iruka were crouched, examining the bone sword.

Kakashi squatted down as well, looking at the sword. Beside the chief, Naruto gulped to himself, still not quite believing what had happened. Someone had just wanted to take his life, and he might have just fallen prey to the very sword he was looking at, if Iruka and Kakashi had not been present. His mind was racing. Since when had he done something; anything, that merited such an intent against him?

So caught up he was in his thoughts, that he did not notice Iruka's frantic shouting by the side, until Kakashi's hand went over his throat, catching it in a death grip.

"Kakashi-san, what are you doing?!" Iruka's voice finally became clear to Naruto, even as Kakashi heaved him onto his feet by standing up. Instinctively, Naruto fought against the hand that had him captive by the throat, but he knew it was futile. Kakashi was not the chief of constables for nothing, after all. He was so stricken and confused, that he had no idea what to do or say, except follow along as Kakashi pulled him towards the middle of the hall. As if he was a theatrical spectacle for anyone who cared to watch, at the moment.

"Ka... Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto eventually found his voice, craning his neck slightly so he could look at his captor, who held him with an iron grip from behind. "What's going on?"

The look of pained reluctance in Kakashi's visible eye was to be Kakashi's only reply. His frown was deep, and his posture was stiff. But even in his hesitance, he shifted, digging around for something in the pouch that was strapped to his back. It was a kunai that he eventually withdrew. He held it poised above the spot that was Naruto's heart. Naruto's eyes grew wide with fear, and Iruka's face twisted with disbelief and horror.

"Are you /serious/, Kakashi-san?" Iruka was surprised at how calm his voice sounded, despite the panic he was truly feeling within. Kakashi shifted his line of vision from looking at Iruka, to looking at a random spot on the second storey.

"You know that I'm always serious," he said, equally calm. But he was not looking at Iruka. He stretched his hand out, pulling the kunai to a distance away from Naruto's chest. "I'm sorry, Naruto," he whispered quietly, so that only Naruto heard it. The blond had no time to think about what the phrase could have meant. The blade came plunging towards his heart at a speed that he could never match; that he was powerless to stop.

The exploding pain he expected to feel never came.

Something whistled through the air before him, and then there was the heavy sound of metal clashing against metal. Naruto distinctly saw, from the corner of his eyes - the kunai Kakashi had been wanting to use to attack him spinning away into mid-air, eventually ending up embedded against the wooden pillar somewhere near the kitchen entrance. A blur of black and blue danced about before him, but he did not have enough time to see what it was. In the next blink of the eye, Kakashi had pulled him backwards - out of reach from that person.

It took a while before the dust finally settled on all the players present.

"Long time no see," Kakashi broke into a wide smile, lifting one hand to scratch his cheek out of habit. "Sasuke."

Sasuke relaxed, and rose to full height, previously bent in a stance that made him ready to attack and defend as necessary. He held his sword limply by his side, frowning very hard at the silver-haired warrior standing before him. "Kakashi." He deadpanned. Naruto noticed that Sasuke's eyes flickered to life for a while, but the light was snuffed out as quickly as it came. "Release Naruto." Sasuke growled. "Immediately."

"Now, now," Kakashi waved his free hand about in front of his eyes, his other hand still holding Naruto by the neck. "That's no way to be talking to your mentor, is it? And we haven't seen each other for three years, too!"

"I will speak with you however I want," Sasuke scoffed, neither denying nor admitting to Kakashi's claim that he was Sasuke's mentor. Naruto sighed with relief, no longer feeling afraid of Kakashi for some reason, even though one strike from the man there and then would have broken his neck easily into two. He waited until Kakashi was readying to speak the next sentence, then lifted a hand up to elbow him squarely in his solar plexus. He made sure he put a lot of Chakra into his attack, and he stomped on Kakashi's right foot as well, for good measure.

"YEOWCH!" The constable chief immediately released the boy, who took a step forward and spun around, facing him pointedly. Kakashi was doubled over in pain, his toe smarting from the stomp. "Ow ow ow ow..." he repeated to himself, while curling up into a ball on the ground. "That wasn't very nice, Naruto!" He whined, peeking an eye out to look at his sometimes student.

"It sure as anything is for you, sensei!!" Naruto screeched, pointing a finger at the collapsed man. "What the hell was that all about just now?! Were you /serious/ about wanting to plunge that kunai into my heart?!"

After coughing a couple of times, Kakashi pushed himself into a sitting position. He smiled at the boy and chirped, "Yup!"

Naruto proceeded to stomp on Kakashi's head mercilessly.

While Kakashi protested helplessly, knowing he deserved to be kicked, Iruka slowly came up to Sasuke from behind. He stopped a short distance away, just so enough that Sasuke would be able to tell that there was someone near him. And he did. The dark-haired teen tilted his head slightly to regard Iruka with an unreadable look on his face.

"You didn't leave," Iruka stated.

"My duty is to the Prince," Sasuke replied, "not his guardian."

The older person found himself frowning slightly - his initial fear and anger slowly slipping in the face of Sasuke's odd but admirable loyalty. "He can't go back to the Palace. It's too dangerous for him there now."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at the guardian, slowly sheathing his sword. "That's not up to you to decide."

After a sharp intake of breath, Iruka's face turned into many different shades of white and red. He gaped many times, like a fish out of water. It was like he had something to say, but kept being unable to say it.

Eventually, the guardian sighed. "I guess..." he spoke, softly, "...I guess you're right."

Sasuke's attention was already on Naruto and Kakashi, the former still shouting loudly at the latter. "Most of the time I am," he bluntly remarked. He did not catch the offended look Iruka had on his face in response to that.

"Come on, Naruto!" Kakashi's loud, protesting voice interrupted the aura of seriousness that had encapsulated Sasuke and Iruka while they talked. "It was the only way to get Sasuke to show up!"

That sentence appeared to finally have an effect on the raging Naruto. His foot paused in mid-air, just a few inches shy of leaving a nasty imprint on Kakashi's left cheek for the next few days. "Huh?" The blond blurted intelligently. Kakashi took this opportunity to quickly scoot to his feet.

"The Uchiha are sworn to protect their masters to the death if necessary," Kakashi pat the dust off his pants, relieved that he was no longer being stepped on. Naruto had lowered his foot and was staring at him with wide-eyed surprise. "I knew Sasuke was hiding somewhere nearby - I know his aura better than most people do," he smiled warmly. "And if he really is Uchiha Sasuke, then he would not have allowed you to come to close to any harm at all, right, Sasuke-kun?" Kakashi turned to look at the stoic Uchiha, who was standing to a side, trying to be inconspicuous.

Sasuke stared evenly at Kakashi. "My duty to the clan is indeed as such." His voice was sombre, unfeeling. He obeyed because he had been asked to; trained to. There was nothing more, and nothing less.

Naruto felt somewhat disappointed, and sad. He did not know why.

In the time it took for the silence to stretch, Kakashi closed the distance between him and Sasuke. Before the boy could step back warily, Kakashi's hand came to rest on his head, and was ruffling his hair somewhat affectionately. "Three years, Sasuke," Kakashi was smiling. "I see you haven't changed a single bit."

The boy took a while to get over his surprise, after which he quickly slapped Kakashi's hand away. "Don't touch me!" He half-snarled in warning. Kakashi was unafraid, however, and continued smiling. Sasuke retreated a few steps from the taller man, shaking his head, half a hand on the hilt of his sword. "I don't trust you."

Kakashi snickered. "I guess you shouldn't," he stepped closer to Sasuke, who stepped back coolly, but quickly. "Not especially since I'm the chief of constables now, isn't it?"

"What's going on?" Iruka asked, flabbergasted at the situation on hand. Naruto nodded in agreement. He knew there was something about this entire thing that Kakashi was not quite letting them in about. "Kakashi-san?" The blond's guardian looked at the chief inquiringly.

"Oh," Kakashi said, while slowly drawing his primary longsword out of its sheath. From opposite him, Sasuke mirrored the action, drawing his own sword out. "I didn't tell you that he stole the Sword of Jewels from the Palace and killed two guards of Hokage on his way out?" Kakashi poised his blade into a ready position. Sasuke did so as well, silently.

"...you only told me about the Sword," Iruka could feel his blood going cold. He stared at Sasuke, suddenly afraid. The guards of Hokage were top-class constables, hand-picked by the previous Hokage himself for service at the Palace. He had no idea Uchiha Sasuke - a mere boy, could have done anything to them and gotten away unscathed.

"Well," Kakashi's voice grew softer, "just as it stands at the moment, Uchiha Sasuke has been and is still the most wanted criminal in the entire land - for three whole years now." He spared a glance at Naruto. "You've always wanted to catch a big one, didn't you, Naruto?" The blond stiffened, his mind having jerked to a complete and thorough stop the moment Kakashi said that Sasuke was a wanted criminal. He looked at Kakashi, his face a cross between horror and disbelief. "I think you might like it if I told you that you've caught the biggest one in the land, right here," he smiled.

But the smile was tired and contrived.

It was a smile of a man who did not like, but could not help, what he was doing.  
****

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14/1/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	7. Chapter Six

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! You have been warned.

--------------------------------------------------------------  
Down The Untrodden Path  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter Six

"I didn't kill them," Sasuke's clear, unflinching voice of denial sent a new jolt of shock through the others'. Nobody, after all, had expected the awfully quiet boy to speak, much less defend himself. "Somebody set me up."

Kakashi seemed to consider this. Surprisingly. He lowered his sword to indicate it. "Who?" He asked, eyes suddenly soft and understanding. "Is it-"

"I can't tell you," Sasuke interrupted him. The boy gripped his weapon even tighter, not letting his guard down for a moment. "You wouldn't believe me anyway."

"Try me," Kakashi stepped forward, which Sasuke responded with a step back.

"No," the boy's verbal reply was firm.

"If you keep being so stubborn, I will /really/ have to arrest you," Kakashi shook his head. "That what you want?"

"You'd arrest me either way anyway," Sasuke snorted. "I'm here to bring the Prince back to where he belongs. I am under no obligation to tell anybody anything else."

Kakashi run a hand through his silver hair, sighing loudly as he did. "Three years outside the Palace has made you more stubborn than ever, I see." His sword was back to a position of readiness. "You leave me with no choice."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He said nothing.

And Naruto only managed to see the flash of movement, which was Sasuke and Kakashi running forward towards each other, in the next immediate second. Anything else that was said or done was lost in a blur of wind and movement, that Naruto's eyes could hardly keep up with.

The duo met with cringing swords in the middle of the large, empty hall. The jarring sounds of blade against blade ricocheted off the walls, echoing loudly in Naruto and Iruka's ears.

Naruto had by then calmed down considerably, though he was still rather confused about what Sasuke's real status was. Kakashi claimed that the boy was the most wanted criminal in the land. But the silver-haired warrior spoke with Sasuke like they were old friends. Naruto knew that Kakashi usually gave no mercy, spared no second glance to even minor criminals, just as long as they were wanted by the law. The fact that he seemed to know the boy, and was willing to hear Sasuke out made Naruto realise that there was something more to this than what it seemed at the moment.

But Naruto could think no further, for Iruka suddenly grabbed him by the arm and jerked him to one side. Effectively snapped out of his thoughts, Naruto came back to reality just in time to hear something long, bright and sharp whoosh past his ear. He gulped, admonishing himself internally. Thou shalt not look away from two fighters who are engaged in battle, lest some weapon should fly amok and stab thee in thy eye.

Returning his attention to the scene before him, he gasped slightly. Kakashi had knocked Sasuke's sword away, and now held him at sword-point by the neck. One of Sasuke's hands was bleeding, probably cut open when Kakashi successfully knocked his sword away from it. Sasuke was using his other hand to press onto that wound, so both hands were bloodied and unused. His face showed slight annoyance, instead of frustration. It was like he had full control over the situation, even if it seemed like Kakashi had the upper hand.

"Well?" Kakashi prompted. "Feel like talking now?"

"Hmph!" Sasuke actually smiled, albeit it was not a pleasant smile. "He told me to trust nobody, because everybody works for Orochimaru!" The smile dissolved into a scowl. While he was distracting everybody with his sudden outburst, his hands converged together to form a series of seals, which Kakashi realised only too late. "Kawarimi!" The seals were completed. A puff of smoke occurred, and a wooden chair now sat in where Sasuke used to stand.

Kakashi indulged one split second to marvel at how much faster his student had become since he last saw the boy. Then well-honed instincts took over. Kakashi spun around before he really knew why, and held his sword up in a block against an air-borne attack by Sasuke. "Learnt a few new tricks while wandering around the world, haven't we?" He mockingly commented. Sasuke used the momentum of his swing to drop back down onto the floor. He hopped back a few steps, and unleashed yet another frontal attack at Kakashi with his newfound weapon.

"Always read beneath the beneath when facing a stronger opponent," Sasuke smirked. "I believe /you/ were the one who taught me that."

"How nice to see my student applying my teachings even after such a long absence," Kakashi nodded sagely to himself. He casually swung his blade in an outward arc, forcing Sasuke to have to jump clear of the territory. It was at this point of time that Kakashi noticed what Sasuke's new weapon was. "Hmm..." he raised an eyebrow in appreciation. "So that's the legendary Sword of Jewels?"

"The Sword of Jewels!" Iruka turned quickly to look at Sasuke. True to Kakashi's words, the Uchiha was holding a new sword that was quite unlike the previous one he had been using. Not that he could actually see the sword, for it was still evidently resting within the sheath. But the sheath itself was encrusted from tip to tip with sparkling jewels, the colours of blood and royal linen. The base and hilt were gilded with aged gold, and though Sasuke had a hand on both, he made no attempt to withdraw the blade from its awe-inspiring sheath.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Kakashi shrugged, lowering his own blade and tapping his foot with something akin to impatience. "You don't seriously think you can win me by just fighting with a sheath, do you?"

Sasuke remained unmoving. "There's no need to taint the Sword with the blood of someone who works for Orochimaru."

Kakashi seemed unfazed at the accusation. "Are you talking about your older brother?" He asked, quietly. Sasuke blinked in surprise, but his expressions quickly reverted back to poker. "I did find it hard to believe that Uchiha Itachi would leave the cause of the Uchiha to serve under Oroch-..."

"Shut up, Kakashi!" Sasuke snarled. He primed his sword. "/I/ will be the judge of my brother! You know /nothing/ about the Uchiha, so just shut up!" The boy was seriously incensed, for the first time since Naruto had met him. His eyes fazed in between colours of blood red and intense black. His face was set in a feral frown, his teeth gritting against each other in unabridled anger. Something about what Kakashi just said had set the bomb off in Sasuke's suppressed heart. Naruto watched, as the Uchiha gave a loud battle cry, and dived straight towards the nonchalant Kakashi, who did not so much at blink at Sasuke's overpowering aura.

Powered by his anger, Sasuke managed to hold up against the older, more experienced Kakashi for a good while. But his form was lost to his frustration - he could no longer read the outcome of the battle and react accordingly. Kakashi was now the one in charge of the flow of the fight.

"Don't make me hurt you, Sasuke," Kakashi eventually announced. He avoided a strike by Sasuke and moved in to the boy's blind spot. From there, he used a ground leg-sweep on Sasuke's then unsteady feet, succeeding in making the boy tumble onto the ground in an ungraceful heap.

Quickly, though, Sasuke tried to get up. He managed to lift one knee and place a hand by the floor for leverage, before his movements got restricted by a gravitational jutsu. "Tch!" He swore under his breath. Barely managing to be able to lift his head up to glare at Kakashi, he scowled at the smiling constable. "Kanashibari is cheap." He half-mumbled, half-whined. For once, he almost sounded his age.

"Well, it was the only way to stop you from moving around," Kakashi shrugged. "I do hope you understand the situation at the moment, Sasuke," the older man continued, while lowering the tip of his blade so that it was at level with Sasuke's throat. "Being the most wanted criminal in the land, the Palace will want you to be arrested - dead or alive. As the chief constable, I'm not above the law, so I have to bring you in. But from the way things are now, it doesn't look like you'll follow me back quietly. And even if I dragged you back now," the man shook his head, "with your level of skill, it won't take you one hour to break out of this little city's rather lacking dungeon, so let's strike a deal." He paused, trying to read Sasuke's expression for any signs that he was up to something.

When he found none, he continued, "You could leave the Sword behind, then disappear from the capital forever. Then we'll all pretend like we never saw you, and that we found the Sword lying in some desolated corner or another, and you won't get to be delivered up to Orochimaru. How's that?"

It did not take Sasuke even one second to consider. "That's the most ridiculous idea I've /ever/ heard you suggest before." He scoffed. "The Sword stays with me," his eyes flashed with determination. "Or you can get it over my dead body."

"I was /hoping/ you wouldn't say that," Kakashi put his free hand to his forehead. "Because that's the second option. And, Sasuke," he thrust his hand holding onto the sword slightly further out, bringing the dangerous blade closer to the immobile Sasuke, "...I will seriously do what has to be done to put Yondaime Hokage's heirloom Sword back into the hands of the rightful owner." The sword grazed the side of Sasuke's throat, drawing a thin line of blood. "Even if it involves maiming. Or killing someone."

Sasuke's facade was calm, when he looked at Kakashi in the eye. "That's a coincidence," he smiled. And the smile was somewhat wry. "That sounds exactly like what I'm trying to do."

Kakashi was stumped. But only for a while. His cynical nature quickly took over. "Really?" He asked, in a tone that implied that he did not quite believe. Sasuke merely stared at him, eyes resigned. He knew he had been driven up a corner, and that there was nowhere to turn. But he did not show any trace of regret on his face. After all, he had gotten to fulfill at least one wish of his that he had from since young - at least he got to see his liege...

"Kakashi-sensei! Don't you dare!" Naruto screeched and flailed his arms about wildly from the sidelines.

...even if his liege was a little way out of his expectations. Sasuke sighed. But all was good. Kakashi's sense of duty would see to it that the Sword really went back to its rightful owner. Not that Naruto had been wanting to accept it when Sasuke offered it to him, but perhaps that would change. In retrospect, as Uchiha Sasuke recalled all the past 16 years of his life, it had been fairly interesting. He saw Kakashi lift the blade up in the air, ready to strike. Hopefully, Kakashi would not maim him too badly. He had been maimed enough in the past three years to last him a lifetime.

The blade, of course, never did quite reach its destination.

"Naruto," Kakashi frowned, "Get out of the way."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto's voice was pleading. He stood before the restrained Sasuke, hands spread out in defence of the boy. "You don't have to do this! Sasuke hasn't done anything wrong!"

"He killed two Palace guards," Kakashi pointed out, "and probably more that we don't know of." Naruto tensed.

"You're only just saying it!" The blond proceeded to shriek, his confusion now transformed into determination. "You never actually SAW him do it, did you?!"

The constable chief was slightly taken aback by the outburst. "Naruto..." he began. "...he could have been sent by the enemy to harm you!"

If it was at all possible, Naruto's frown deepened. "He came out of hiding when you tried to attack me," the boy said, in a quiet but serious voice. He clenched his hands into fists. "Knowing he was wanted. Knowing the chief of constables was here." He stared at Kakashi levelly. "That doesn't seem like what someone who'd want to harm me would do. If anything," he pointed daringly at Kakashi, "I'd say /you're/ the one some guy hired to try to harm me!"

"I know what you mean, Naruto," Kakashi took a step forward, staring down at the boy, who was shorter. "But as constables, we have to do what it takes to lure the criminal out so as to apprehend him. The law is not our plaything. A good constable knows that he has a /duty/ above his personal feelings towards his liege, and nothing that--"

"DUTY, MY ASS!" Naruto's loud shout drowned out whatever else Kakashi had on his lips. "Kakashi-sensei! You're the LAST person in the world I wanna hear lecturing me about DUTY! You! Who never makes an appointment on time! You! Who is always at least three hours late!"

There proceeded to be a collective look of awe on everybody's faces, during which time Naruto used to fume, with smoke arising from his reddened cheeks.

The silence did not last long. Naruto continued with his rampage.

"I always thought constables were so cool not because they got some blind duty to some stupid words on a stupid piece of paper they call 'law', but because I thought constables knew how to think for themselves! I didn't want to become a constable because I can go around ranting about duty, duty, blah blah and then come arrest a class one criminal four bloody hours late!" He stomped once, hard, on the wooden flooring. "I want to be a constable because it'll show that I have a brain and can think of myself, DAMMIT! So stop! Please STOP talking about some stupid duty to the constable law or whatever it is you were talking about just now!" Naruto returned to staring at Kakashi, his face serious. "Because it's just wrong! Nothing could be more wrong! Especially when YOU'RE the one saying it!"

The entire hall was now effectively shocked into stunned silence following Naruto's declaration. Sasuke and Iruka were both staring at Naruto with wide eyes, agape. Kakashi was also staring, although he was more discreet about his expressions. Naruto's face was twisted with determination, but any smart observer could see that there was cold sweat breaking out from beneath his hair - an indication of foolhardiness in the face of fear. For a little while more the silence stretched. Then, as suddenly as it became quiet, the silence was broken.

Kakashi laughed. Very loudly.

Not understanding if he was merely imagining things, Naruto stood rooted to the spot for a good while, staring at his laughing mentor. He could hear Sasuke clambering to his feet behind him, the Kanashibari possibly having been released after Kakashi's concentration was broken. Iruka still stood at the sidelines, staring at Kakashi like he had suddenly grown three heads. It was not until Kakashi's laughter began to subside, did the hall start to stir with some activity again.

"Kakashi-san," Iruka was miffed, "what's so funny?"

Before Kakashi could reply, Sasuke lightly knocked Naruto at the back of his head with the hilt of the Sword of Jewels. "Idiots don't go around shouting that they have brains," he blandly stated. This caused Naruto to spin around angrily, growl, and toss a punch in Sasuke's face in a show of what he thought of /that/ idea. Kakashi laughed louder (alas, for he had almost simmered down to a relatively sane level of volume), and Iruka rubbed his temples with a sigh.

"Kakashi-san, it's not very nice to laugh at our future king like that," Iruka mumbled fairly loudly, so that all three others present could hear. This sentence alone produced three sets of similar reactions. Kakashi immediately stopped laughing. Naruto immediately stopped trying to land a punch somewhere on Sasuke's face. And Sasuke immediately stopped trying to dodge Naruto's punches. They all stared at Iruka, faces set in varying degrees of interest and bemusement.

Iruka held all their gazes with a warm, resigned smile. That smile soon disappeared, and his face became serious and his words curt. "There is something I need to tell you, Naruto," he declared, and Naruto could feel himself jumping slightly. But the atmosphere permitted no questions. At least, not yet. Iruka turned from Naruto to the other two present. "If you have a bit of time," he looked first at Sasuke, then at Kakashi, "I would appreciate your presence as well."

Sasuke frowned, but Kakashi smiled. Naruto remained confused. "I've been waiting for this day to come, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi was the one who accepted the invitation, apparently for himself and Sasuke as well, for he put a friendly hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed it almost threateningly. "Sasuke and I will listen to what you have to say to Naruto, since you asked us so nicely!"

"Hey, when did I-"

"Come on, Sasuke-/kun/," Kakashi then pulled Sasuke by the shoulder, following Iruka's lead towards the room upstairs, where he probably thought was more conducive for conversation. "Let's put aside our bitter enmity for now and listen to what the royal guardian has to say about his little ward, shall we?"

"Naruto?" Iruka had paused just at the top of the stairs, looking down upon the blond, who was still standing at the hall in the first storey, glancing at the rest of the people with wide-eyed confusion. "Coming?"

"Uuugh... right!" The boy snapped out of whatever he had been thinking about, breaking into a jog towards the stairway. "Right... just... distracted. Eheheh. This had better be good, Iruka-sensei!" He tossed a fist into the air while leaping, two steps at time, up the stairs. "Like pocket money raise or something!"

Iruka simply smiled.

"It's something far better than that."****

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14/1/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd

this whole thing is spinning ridiculously out of control. alas, that seems to be a hallmark of my writings. shucks. anyway, onwards! 


	8. Chapter Seven

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

**Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! You have been warned.**

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Down The Untrodden Path  
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Chapter Seven**

"Naruto," Iruka began, when all the players were present and assembled in his room, seated on and around various furniture and artifacts, "how long have you stayed in this inn, under my care?"

"How long?" Naruto was naturally confused. "All my life, of course!"

Iruka sighed. "Close enough," he mumbled to himself. Walking towards the cupboard standing in the corner of the room, he used a key to unlock the bottommost drawer - the one, Naruto remembered, he had been warned threateningly against approaching. When the drawer slid open, Iruka reached in and withdrew an important looking scroll of sorts. He walked towards Naruto, putting the scroll in his hands. "Read it out loud." He stated plaintitively, in a tone that stated he would entertain no protest or argument.

Not that Naruto ever heeded his tone, anyway.

"But sensei," Naruto whined, after unrolling the scroll and peering at it cautiously. "It's full of... words."

"What else is a scroll supposed to be full of?" Iruka reined his temper in and retorted very sweetly.

"Pictures!" Naruto beamed. He unrolled the scroll fully - it was not a very long scroll - and glanced through it again. "At least the words are big and nice!" He laughed. Sasuke and Kakashi stared at him strangely from wherever they were ruminating and sitting respectively, across the room.

"What does the thing say?" Sasuke was the first to speak up, against all expectations.

"Just hang on or something," Naruto mumbled, eyebrows knitted together in concentration, "I'm trying to figure it out."

Kakashi lowered his head, his shoulders shaking. It was evident he was trying to stifle his laughter. Naruto was concentrating so hard on the scroll and trying to read it, that he ended up looking rather funny.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the sight. Without moving from where he was standing, leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes and recited in monotone, "/In this fifth hour of the third year whence the Fourth Liege of this great land stands supreme, an heir has been received, whose destiny will be to lead the people of the Fire to greater progress. His will must be strong and his understanding surpassing. He must understand the toils and troubles of the people. The Grand Tutor, space for name, is hereby decreed to bring the Prince up in a peasant town, where he may grow up strong in mind and body - knowing the people and their problems - until the full sixteen cycles, when he must then return to the Palace. The Grand Tutor is charged with this heavy responsibility, punishable by death, should he fail to abide by this decree to its very letter. Uzumaki Naruto will be sixteen full years before the Sword of Jewels is given him, without which his position shall not be recognised. All hear the King's decree/"

While Iruka and Kakashi took turns to look flabbergasted and somewhat impressed, Naruto was nodding away. The moment Sasuke ended his monologue, Naruto's head bobbed upwards, his face lit up with admiration. "Wow, Sasuke!" He exclaimed, excited, "That's pretty cool! You got every single thing right, down to the punctuation! Were you the one who wrote this confusing thing up?"

Sasuke's eyes were affixed on a spot outside the window. "My father did," he finally responded. "It's one of the only things I have to remember him by."

Naruto barely caught the implication behind the sentence. He blinked. "Oh." The scroll he held in his hands slacked slightly. Then he quickly brought it back up to chest level. "So like, what does all of that mean anyway?" He chirped, much to the amusement of Kakashi and frustration of Iruka. Sasuke remained stoically emotionless. "I saw Iruka-sensei's name... and my name!" He beamed. "This something like my birth certificate?" He peered at it. "But I don't see any mention of my real parents' names... don't tell me Iruka-sensei /is/ my real father!" The boy's face was caught between a look of horror and mortification.

Before he could say another word, Iruka smacked him across the back of his head with a rolled up wad of paper. Kakashi stopped stifling his laughter, choosing to burst out laughing loudly. Even Sasuke looked visibly disturbed. He eventually glanced at Iruka while saying, "Grand Tutor. I feel that you must be the one to explain the situation to the Prince, or this entire thing would have been pointless to begin with."

The guardian regarded Sasuke, eyes cautious. He sighed, tossing the wad of papers he had been holding away, so that it fell to the floor. "You're right." He began to walk towards Naruto, who was seated on a chair near the entrance, still holding onto the scroll. In front of the confused teenager, Iruka loomed.

Naruto gulped unconsciously, wondering what Iruka was going to punish him for now. He couldn't possibly have found out that Naruto was the one who had replaced the inn's bathing water supply with swamp mud, could he? Or maybe he found out that Naruto was the one who replaced the peanuts with sand in the breakfast pancakes two weeks ago! The blond's mind raced. He panicked, cold sweat breaking forth.

And he would have gone deeper into anxiety, had Iruka not suddenly lowered himself into a half kneel, holding a hand out towards the by now flabbergasted Naruto.

"Naruto," Iruka began, voice soft, "your father entrusted you to the care of the Grand Tutors sixteen years ago. I was assigned to this mission ten years ago. Back then, the land was steeped in heavy warfare. The King could not afford to show any weakness, and therefore when you were born, you were whisked away into the peasant world without any official announcement whatsoever. You are a Prince of this land, Naruto," Iruka looked at Naruto in the eye, "and you are to be its King. That is the will of your father, the King before you. The great King, fourth in line, who died sixteen years ago in the great war, just a few days after you were born..."

To his credit, Naruto remained surprisingly calm at Iruka's potentially life-altering announcement. "Really?" He asked, his voice showing no signs of distress. "So Sasuke wasn't lying to me?"

Iruka sighed. Only Naruto could take an almost ludicruous announcement like this as lightly as it was an announcement that they were going to picnic at the beach tomorrow. "No he was not," he concurred, as he rose to his feet and pat his charge on the head.

"Then why am I still here?" Naruto asked, eyes wide with innocence and genuine query. "It says that I have to go back by the time I'm sixteen, and I turned sixteen a couple of weeks back or something." There was no accusation in his tone, merely curious enquiry.

Iruka was completely taken aback by Naruto's reaction, and was unable to forge a proper reply in time. It was Kakashi who next spoke up. "That's because Iruka-sensei hasn't brought it up to you yet." He shrugged. "Not until now, at least. If you were to go back without the Grand Tutor AND the Sword, needless to say, you'd be hauled up via the back door." There was laughter in his tone.

"Right," Naruto simply blinked. He lowered his head to glance at the scroll in his hands again, in a rare moment of thinking.

"Iruka-sensei," it was Sasuke. "My father spoke highly of the Grand Tutors, telling me time and again that they are to be role models in loyalty to the Liege. If there is a reason behind why you would rather risk death sentence than to send the Prince back to the Palace, please," he bowed his head slightly, "enlighten us."

To that, Iruka gave a cursory glance around the room, sweeping through the looks on everybody's faces. Naruto's face was still blank. And he was still staring at the scroll. Sasuke donned a somewhat expectant look, and it was strange to see something else on his face than sheer nonchalance for once. Kakashi also had an anticipating look on his face, although his mask made that harder to discern. Returning his glance to a faraway spot outside the window, Iruka sighed.

"If I had to sum it up in one word," his voice was soft but firm, "...'Orochimaru'."

Sasuke tensed, Kakashi frowned, and Naruto wondered who Orochimaru was. "The constable force would be happy to escort the Prince back to the Palace," Kakashi spoke up, in an attempt to break the tension. "After all, we've been secretly guarding the Prince from since I was was appointed here. And maybe by the previous chiefs, even before I came. All you, as his guardian, had to do was ask."

Iruka shook his head. "You don't understand, Kakashi-san." He strolled over to an available chair and sat down on it. "Even if we get the Prince into the Palace safe and sound... even if we installed him on the throne as the rightful heir..."

"Orochimaru won't give up," Sasuke finished the sentence for the guardian. "He'll continue to try to claim the throne for his own, by hook or by crook."

An awkward silence filled the room.

"Naruto won't be able to match up to one of the Legendary Three," Iruka lowered his head in defeat, slumping further into his seat. "Not with his current level of skill and knowledge. But Tsunade-sama..." he trailed off slightly, "...she at least can fend off his advances and hold the land together, so..."

"So you had wanted to keep silent forever," Kakashi offered, "let Naruto stay in this town forever - hope that people will think that the line of the Yondaime is gone forever, and that they will be happy with the new Liege and her way of ruling. All because you fear for Naruto's life, and think that Tsunade-sama will do better against Orochimaru?"

"Yes," Iruka said, resolutedly, after a long pause. "That was my intention." He looked at the ground, eyes wistful. "I am the third Tutor sent from the Palace to the Prince. My duty is to teach, and preserve his life in any way I see fit. If bringing him back to the Palace endangers his life, then even if I will be punished by death," Iruka smiled, "then so be it. So long as Naruto is safe and sound here."

"What happened to the other two guardians?" Naruto asked. His voice was hollow. He had vague remembrances of the two guardians before Iruka, but when Iruka came he had insisted that there was no such thing and that he had been there from the start. Naruto had completely bought the story. It was the ramen, he swear.

Iruka did not take too long to reply this time. "They were assassinated," he pursed his lips, "by the Yanagi - they who use the human bone as weapons of murder."

A moment of understanding passed between all that were present.

"But Naruto has something that Orochimaru can never touch, or challenge," Sasuke suddenly broke the silence, when it got to be too uncomfortable. All eyes then turned to him, some questioning, some suspicious, and others knowing. "His lineage is untouchable." Sasuke stated firmly. "Orochimaru cannot challenge that." He pushed himself off the wall, grabbing the Sword of Jewels, that had been leaning by his foot. Walking up to Naruto, he pointed the blade at him, hilt first. "Because Naruto will be the only one who will be able to remove the Sword from its sheath," Sasuke declared, much to the surprise of Iruka and Kakashi.

"The Sword of Jewels..." Iruka began, rather haltingly, "...was forged with that purpose in mind?"

Sasuke glanced at the guardian, then glanced away. "It is a well-guarded secret known only to the royal line and the Uchiha. It is to ensure that there is a way of identification should the lineage be challenged." Looking at Naruto again, he continued, "Naruto. You pulled the blade out once before. You can do it again - in the presence of Tsunade-sama and the entire royal court. Come back with me. What happens after that, will be." His face was solemn, his tone laced with slight desperation.

"I don't know, Sasuke," was Naruto's hesitant reply. His voice, previously calm, was now strained. He slapped the scroll spines towards each other, then tossed the important document aside, onto the floor. "What if it was just a fluke? Maybe the sword was loose or something," he grinned, but there was no mirth on his lips. Wrapping one hand on the hilt held out by Sasuke, he tugged.

And without protest or resistance, the Sword slipped out of its sheath.

"Okay," Naruto grumbled. "So it wasn't a fluke." He examined the blade, noticing that it glowed slightly translucent in the dim moonlight that was coming in through the window. "Nice sword." He commented dryly. His brain was obviously anywhere but in the room and the situation on hand. He sighed, then dumped the sword back into Sasuke's arms, pushing the Uchiha to one side. "So, like..." he glanced up at the people in the room. "...wanna go out for dinner?" He beamed.

"Naruto!" Iruka gasped in horror. "We're talking about serious things here!"

"I know, I know!" The blond quickly clarified. "I mean, sheesh! Even the /King/ needs to eat before he can think about serious things, right?" He pouted, when nobody from the room responded to his jibe. "And seriously for me," he shook his head, "I don't really care if I'm some prince or not, okay? It changes nothing! So let's just all get out for something to eat, please?"

"You don't want the Sword?" It was Sasuke, and his voice was quiet but somewhat lethal.

"The hell I need it for?" Naruto turned around and snapped at Sasuke.

"It belongs to you," Sasuke stated, stature serious.

"No it doesn't," Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Just because I can pull the damn thing out of the sheath doesn't mean anything. I bet Kakashi-sensei can do it too!" He pointed exaggeratingly at the chief constable, whose face was impeccably unreadable.

Kakashi said nothing.

"Anyway," Naruto huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, "even if you're all not hungry, I'll have you know that /I/ am! So I'm going out for food!" He turned and started to walk towards the door. The silent room did not hold him back. "Bye all!" He waved. He stepped out of the door and turned towards the corridor, effectively disappearing from sight.

Iruka and Kakashi simply allowed their eyes to linger upon the door Naruto had just stepped out from. Sasuke's eyes were momentarily sad. He had been looking at the floorboards. One blink, however, was all it took for him to replace his mask of impassivity. He gripped the Sword of Jewels tightly in his hand, grabbing hold of another ordinary sword from the weapon rack nearby. Without announcement or fanfare, he swept forward, fully intending to exit the room after Naruto.

That is, if Kakashi had not summoned a gust of strong wind with a wind Jutsu, effectively shutting the door before Sasuke had a chance to step out.

"And where do you think you're going?" Kakashi asked, smiling but not out of mirth. He remained seated, but Sasuke knew that he would be up on his feet in an instance, should he do anything to prove dangerous to the situation on hand.

"I'm following the dunce out," Sasuke replied with a shrug. "He didn't bring a weapon."

"He's survived long enough without a weapon," Iruka offered. Sasuke spared him a sidelong glance.

"Do you understand the situation you are in at the moment?" Kakashi shook his head at the boy. "That depending on what you next say, I may be forced to bring you in without seeking official approval first, and keep you under lock, key, and watchful eyes until you are ready to confess?"

"I have nothing to confess to you," Sasuke sneered. He sheathed the Sword of Jewels, then slipped it behind him, firmly suspending it upon the hook on his belt there. This way, the Sword would be blocked from sight entirely, buffered between his thick cloak and torso. Then he kicked the door violently open, so that it swung on its hinges and bashed itself against the wall outside. With a foot out of the room, he turned his head back and growled at his one-time mentor, "My place is with my liege, no matter how much of a moron he is." Roll of eyes. "I'll bring him back to the Palace with the Sword," the eyes now narrowed, "even if it's the last thing I have to do."

Leaving that strange and contradictory warning behind, Sasuke stepped out of the room and promptly disappeared from sight.

Iruka got over his gaping quickly. "Kakashi-san!" He turned to the constable, arms flailing. "Aren't you going to arrest him?"

The silver-haired chief leaned backwards in his seat, eyes thoughtful. For a while he made no answer, only rubbing his chin occasionally with a thumb. Finally, he glanced at Iruka from the corner of his eyes and asked, "What do you think?"

"What do I think, what?" Iruka blinked in confusion.

"Sasuke," Kakashi prompted. "Do you think he was lying?"

The import behind the question was like cold water over Iruka's head. He calmed down considerably. "Lying about what?"

"About him wanting to bring Naruto back to the Palace along with the Sword, to reinstate him into the royal lineage," Kakashi's eyes never once left staring at Iruka's. And although Iruka was not afraid by the attention, he was certainly aware that Kakashi meant serious business.

Heaving a sigh, the royal tutor closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with two fingers. "No," he gave his verdict. "No, Sasuke was not lying. He was, and still is serious about bringing Naruto back to the Palace. I have no suspicions about this. After all," he sighed, "I was hoping you would arrest him so that he won't be able to bring Naruto to the palace back..."

Kakashi actually laughed. "I thought it would be for something like that," he shook his head at Iruka, who was steadily turning red with embarrassment and rage. The laughter suddenly simmered, and Kakashi's face was immediately deathly serious. "But if the Grand Tutor says so, that must mean that Sasuke really means it when he said he's on the side of the true liege..." The serious expression melted into that of exasperation. "...then why did Itachi..."

Iruka thought he heard wrongly, for Kakashi was by now mumbling to himself. "Kakashi-san?" He asked, slightly alarmed, when he thought he heard the name of the Uchiha heir being uttered.

The heir who slaughtered his entire clan. Who now stood alongside the devious Orochimaru.

But Kakashi did not appear to have heard Iruka. He stood and stretched. "I'd better go keep an eye on the two young ones to make sure they don't go anywhere they shouldn't!" He waved slightly at Iruka. "Thank you for the invitation for criminal activity today, but I'm afraid I may have to pass on that offer!"

"Wait, Kakashi-san!" Iruka quickly walked out to the corridor to catch up with the constable. "You are the chief of constables, and you're not interested in capturing the most wanted criminal in the entire land at all!"

"Don't make it sound like it's so ridiculous, sensei," Kakashi smiled at Iruka from behind his mask. "Uchiha Sasuke is no longer on my wanted list of dangerous criminals."

Shocked, Iruka could only pause in step to gape at Kakashi.

The constable could already preempt Iruka's likely question. "Iruka-sensei," he turned to look at Iruka solemnly, "if his desire to bring the prince back to where he belongs constitutes a crime, then I must say that I should arrest myself as well, for being guilty of the same crime."

Iruka took in his next breath sharply, intending to say something in return. But the words died upon his lips. Turning his head to observe a nook in the wall, he asked instead, "...what about the guards he killed?"

Kakashi shrugged, already somewhere near the staircase leading to the lower floors. "Like Naruto said, there is no real evidence. I know what I saw, and I certainly did not see a homicidal Sasuke trying to tear off the heads of anybody who stood in between Naruto and him."

"But the order to arrest Uchiha Sasuke came from Uchiha Itachi himself."

It was Kakashi's turn to pause - in the middle of descending the stairs. The ancient wood that decked the step he was treading on groaned and creaked in protest at the prolonged weight upon them. Those were the only sounds that could be heard for a long time after Iruka uttered the damning words.

Until Kakashi broke the mutual silence with a hard fist on the stairwell railing.

"I know that..." He whispered harshly, his visible eye glaring upon a spot somewhere faraway. "...but I think you misunderstand."

Iruka waited. Kakashi smiled dangerously at him.

"I listen to nobody working for Orochimaru."

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In the meantime, in another part of the city, somewhere away from the inn...

"...why are you following me around?"

"Because you can't walk two steps without tripping over your own feet."

"I can, dammit... WOAOUCH!"

"...told you you can't."

"You /tripped/ me, bastard!"

"/You/ tripped over you own feet on the stone I accidentally kicked in your direction."

"ARGH!"

...there was a lot of noise, commotion, raising rivalries and potential injuries.

**————————————————————————  
24/1/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd**

**as i've mentioned, i appear to have lost basic control over how events are shaping out, and i apologise. but that's all right! fics are best run on crack, right?**


	9. Chapter Eight

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

**Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! You have been warned.**

**————————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
————————————————————————  
Chapter Eight**

"Tsunade!" Jiraiya whisked down the corridors of the palace, terrifying the guards and maids strolling along in them. He came to a stop outside a huge double-leaf, ornately carved oaken door and banged hard on it. "Tsunade! I know you're inside! Come out! We need to talk about something!"

After a while more of furious knocking, the door creaked open slightly. A single eye stared out of the crack that resulted from the opening of the door, scanning the person standing outside from top to toe.

Eventually satisfied with her conclusion, Shizune threw the doors open and smiled, then bowed at the fuming Jiraiya. "I'm sorry for being in the way, Jiraiya-sama," she quickly stepped away so Jiraiya could enter into the chambers within. "Tsunade-sama is at the side hall, feasting upon some wine..." Shizune's eyes grew shifty. "...please... speak with her!" She shook her head. "I can no longer get through to her... she just will not listen..."

Jiraiya did not respond, already on his way to the side hall. Upon entering, he immediately spotted Tsunade, who was currently slouched over the table, a few upturned cups with liquor spread all around her. He walked up to her quickly, putting a hand on each shoulder and shaking them. "Tsunade! That's enough! Get a grip! Wake up!" He shook her shoulders harder. "Tsunade!"

His last commanding shout caused Tsunade to bolt upright all of a sudden, knocking him slightly backwards. Immediately after that, the somewhat rejuvenated Tsunade rose to full height, spun around faster than Jiraiya could say 'big boobs!', and slammed a sumo punch upside his nose.

His cry of pain could be heard resounding throughout the entire palace that particular day.

-

Once Tsunade was properly calmed down and now lounged lazily upon her favourite armchair, she downed yet another cup of wine and sighed at the lingering taste within her mouth. "So," she began, voice laced with sleep and inebriation, "what fair wind blows you to my chamber today?"

Jiraiya sat opposite her lounging spot, on a stool which had been hastily moved from the table of the other hall so that Shizune could treat his nose. As it was at the moment, he had a roll of tissue stuck up one nostril, which was slightly stained with the blood that still dribbled from Tsunade's powerful punch. With a face that spelt exasperation and indignation, he replied, "Tsunade. I heard from the elders that you're unwilling to show up on coronation day as publicised-"

The cup in Tsunade's hand came down to slam hard against the arm of the chair she was lounging in. The wooden arm shattered into splinters. The cup remained unscratched. "Who was the wise guy who gave my name for consideration to the council in the first place?" There was an underlying threat beneath the voice.

Jiraiya blinked, his facade suddenly taking on an air of solemnity. "Tsunade, the country has been without a sovereign for sixteen years and many weeks," the man shook his head. "The excuse to many countries seeking treaties and tributes that our current liege cannot show up until he is of age is no longer standing any ground, since our current liege should have turned sixteen weeks ago. You should understand the situation-"

"So?" Tsunade poured herself another cupful of wine. "Orochimaru would be more than happy to warm the seat of the throne until Yondaime's legacy shows up," she downed the liquor in one gulp, then poured another cup's worth.

"You know that's not the issue on hand," Jiraiya leaned forward. "The person who is crowned in the coronation this time round may not be just a stand in until we find his son." He sighed. "There has been no news from the last Tutor who was assigned the mission ten years ago. Everybody else had been murdered." He frowned. "If we crown Orochimaru, we'll be walking right into his plan. Tsunade, are you listening at all?"

"Yes, yes," Tsunade sighed. She had stopped drinking from her cup from a while ago. Leaning against her palm, she glanced at the liquid, still filling the cup in her hand to the brim. "I understand all that you're trying to say... but I'm surprised... no, pissed, more like it," she put the cup, still full, away. "Pissed that none of you had actually asked me for /my/ opinion before publicising the coronation, huh? Did you know that I only knew about it when Shizune congratulated me for it?" She would have slammed her fist into the arm of the chair, had it not already been destroyed by her earlier. "All that said and done, I have no interest in ruling this sick country at all," she shrugged. "Orochimaru can have it for all I care."

It took Jiraiya a while to force his saucer-wide eyes back to normal size. He lowered his head slightly. "Are you serious, Tsunade?" He made sure that his voice conveyed a tone of harsh, deadly warning. "You would give this land to Orochimaru on a silver platter just like that?"

Tsunade continued to look nonchalant and calm. An observant onlooker, however, would have noticed the twitch beneath her brow, when Jiraiya spoke the words next heard.

"You would deliver this land that /he/ loved so much, without a fight, into the hands of Orochimaru?"

The twitch transformed into a full fledged frown. Jiraiya waiting, a smirk in his heart.

He had won the first round. But there was still much to be done.

————————————————————————

"I thought you were going to get some food," Sasuke called out mockingly from Naruto's side. If Naruto did not know any better, he would have misunderstood Sasuke's tone to be that of a complaining one. Bored, even.

"None of your business," the blond sighed, twirling the long stalk of wheat he had plucked while passing through a crop field previously. He was squatting beside a heap of trash next to a side alley entrance, and Sasuke lurked in the side alley itself. It was dark up in the skies, but the marketplace was brightly lit and there were throngs upon throngs of people walking to and fro, singing, shouting, talking. Naruto, however, was frowning. "This place never used to be so crowded at this time in the night."

Sasuke scanned the terrain briefly. "They're in a festive mood because of the upcoming coronation, stupid," he stated very calmly.

Naruto growled. He stopped twirling the stalk of wheat and glared at Sasuke, who stared back with a smirk. "I suddenly feel like punching you," he announced.

Sasuke tilted his head in a show of welcome.

But Naruto quickly turned away after his declaration, so he did not fulfill his feelings. The stalk of wheat continued in its trajectory of twirls. It was not until there was much shouting and pointing at the sky, was the awkward silence between the duo broken.

While watching the children run past their place of anchorage, Naruto glanced up at the sky. The first burst of firework had just begun to hit it. Everybody indeed appeared to be in a joyous mood because of - as Sasuke had mentioned, the upcoming coronation. "Hey, Sasuke," Naruto mumbled, amidst the ruckus, half hoping he would be heard, and half hoping he would not. "Is being a King really all that fantastic?"

Naruto could feel Sasuke's glance on his back. "What do you want to know?" The Uchiha asked, his voice even.

"I don't want to /know/ stuff," Naruto shrugged. He brushed his free hand through his hair. "I just don't feel like I'd make some good ruler or anything."

"The blood of the great Fourth runs within your veins," Sasuke's voice had a nonchalant shrug to it. "You will also have many wise advisers by your side to guide you."

Naruto gave a loud hoot of laughter, which was quickly lost in the excited clamour of the crowd that was around them. "You really think I'm some prince waiting to ascend the throne."

"I don't think," Sasuke sounded cross. "I'm sure."

"This is way too much information for me," Naruto sighed, leaning against the wall behind him. "I still don't get it. I'm no king. The thought of becoming a king has never even crossed my mind before. Like, anyway, how's your hand doing?" Naruto glanced up expectantly at Sasuke, who glanced back, perplexed.

"My hand?" He stretched both hands out to look at them. Under the moonlight, lit up periodically by the flashing fireworks, he saw that his hands were smeared with blood from his previous encounter with Kakashi. But that was just that. He did not particularly feel any pain that might bowl him over and put him out of commission, so he snorted and shrugged. "I've had worst."

Naruto looked somewhat cross. "It doesn't matter how much worst you've /had/. You're injured /now/ and you don't think you should treat it?"

"I won't die from this," Sasuke continued to be nonchalant. "And are you going to be doing anything out here at all? If not, I would advise that we head somewhere safer. Being out in the open like this is far too dangerous for you."

"Oh, so now you've become my /babysitter, huh?" Naruto made sure much sarcasm went into the sentence. Nevertheless, he stood. "I'm gonna go get myself a bun or two for supper. I was gonna give you a treat, but since you're being such an ass, you have to buy your own!" He made a face at Sasuke, whose twitch in one eyebrow made it look like he was tempted to make a face back. Naruto began to take off into the crowd at the main street. "Race you to the store!" The excited blond pointed down the lane, where the store in question was. "Last one there buys me ramen-"

Naruto did not get to finish his sentence. There was a sudden rush of air, and the last thing he heard before he was pushed roughly to the ground was the flapping of an old, parched cloak, and a soft cry of pain he immediately identified as Sasuke's. The blond quickly pushed himself back onto his feet, still in astonishment. All around him, people were beginning to scream and gather around in a circle.

There, fallen on the exact spot he was before being pushed away, was Sasuke.

An arrow protruding out from his chest.

Blood, pouring out of the fresh wound, pooling into a puddle about his fallen body.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shrieked, as it was the only logical course of action he could thunk of at the moment. He was by the boy's side in an instance, grabbing him by his shoulders and shaking, oblivious to the crowd that was gathering around them. "Sasuke!" He tried again, feeling panic well up from within. "I was joking! Come on! Don't be so petty! I'll give you a treat! Hey, wake up! Don't do this to me! Don't-"

"Naruto," a calm, familiar voice interrupted the boy in his rantage. Naruto looked up, feeling a flood of relief wash over him immediately when he saw the familiar face of Kakashi. The constable chief, however, merely shot him a glance of acknowledgement. He was crouched by the unconscious Uchiha's side in the next moment. "We need to get this thing out," he nodded towards the arrow, still lodged in Sasuke's chest. "Help me move him to somewhere quieter," he beckoned at Naruto, who nodded quickly.

Once that was established, Kakashi stood and shouted at the crowds. "All right, all right, nothing to see here, people!" He waved his sword and constable emblem around, dissipating the curious throng quickly. "Out of the way!"

Naruto slung one of Sasuke's hands over his shoulders, struggling to keep them balanced while he followed Kakashi's lead with determination.

"Don't die on me, Sasuke!" Was the only frantic thought running through Naruto's mind, and he made sure to mumble it like a chant under his breath. "You still owe me ramen, dammit!"

-

"Orochimaru." The voice spoke to the figure that stood beyond the door, half veiled by darkness. The voice was soft; immensely out-of-place.

From the middle of the room, Orochimaru stopped engaging in whatever prior experiment he had been paying attention to. He did not turn around, though he smiled to himself. "Itachi," the man drawled raspily. "Welcome! I haven't heard from you in a while, have I?"

Itachi remained silent, standing by the doorway to the dark, dimly lit room.

"Have you any idea what I have called you here to inform you about?" Orochimaru's voice was cool, yet devious.

It was a long time later before Itachi replied. "There has undoubtedly been a change in situation."

"Indeed there has been." Orochimaru smirked at the ceiling, setting his tools to one side. He spun around and now transferred that smirk to Itachi, who remained unflinching. "It seems like Sasuke-kun has found the liege and is bringing him back to the palace..." He waited for a reaction from Itachi, but there was none. "...what do you think we ought to do now?"

Itachi simply continued staring at Orochimaru. It was hard to tell if he was pondering an answer or was actually falling asleep under the dim light, as his expression changed naught during Orochimaru's one-sided soliloquy. Finally, he blinked, and turned to step out of the room. "I understand," he declared, indicating that he /had/ been listening all that time after all. "You wish to transfer all assassination attempts from Sasuke to the liege he has found from now on?"

Orochimaru cackled. "Excellent," he praised, but Itachi was already halfway out of the room. "Sasuke has proven that he has skills that are one step ahead of my subordinates, but this new liege that he has found..." a sinister look drew over Orochimaru's features, "...is most likely unable to even wield a hammer properly. My assassins shall take great pleasure in removing this obstacle away from my feet, and then when that happens..." the man trailed off into a series of soft snickering. It did not seem like he was interested in continuing the sentence.

"Orochimaru," Itachi's voice suddenly interrupted the man in the middle of his strange hysterics. The boy's face was halfway visible through the doorframe. His eye flickered briefly with an unreadable emotion. "How can you be sure that it is the true liege that Sasuke has found?"

In response, Orochimaru stared at him, long and hard. Eventually he turned away and sneered. "If Sasuke-kun thinks he is the true liege, then there must be no mistaking it," he grinned, baring teeth as he did. "Eliminating him will easily demoralise Sasuke-kun, and the Sword of Jewels will fall into my hands thereafter. We will be killing two birds with one stone. Wonderful idea, don't you think?"

"...I see," Itachi sounded strangely relieved, for a split second. He then turned and made to depart the scene completely. "I will see that your orders are conveyed to the others." Leaving just that sentence behind, he vanished down the darkness of the corridor.

Orochimaru watched him, until he could no longer hear the boy's footsteps. He smiled, and his smile was very evil. "Uchiha Itachi..." he whispered to himself, "...it doesn't matter what you're planning anymore, because once this week is over, everything you have planned will be foiled... Everything!"

The whispering soon dissolved into soft laughter. The laughter grew louder and louder. It echoed down the dark hallway, where its only hearers were the musty, dim fire torches adorning the bricked walls.

**————————————————————————  
29/1/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd**

**thank you all for the encouragement! yes! i shall proceed with crack from hence forth. :D don't forget to vote for your favourite stories at the tonfa naruto fanfiction awards!**

**finalknight . net / naruto / vote . html**


	10. Chapter Nine

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

**Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! You have been warned. I'm afraid there are no pairings in this fic. Sorry. m( )m**

**————————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
————————————————————————  
Chapter Nine**

Iruka tightened the final knot on the bandages around Sasuke's bare torso, breathing a sigh of relief as he did. After moving the covers over the boy, he grabbed the basin of bloodied water beside him and silently walked out of the room, leaving an anxious Naruto and thoughtful Kakashi behind. Naruto then turned from staring at the sleeping Sasuke to Kakashi.

"Sensei, sensei!" The blond prodded the constable by his side with urgency. "What's going to happen now?" His voice was tinged with anxiety. He alternated between staring at Sasuke and Kakashi. "It's nothing too serious, right?" He clutched onto Kakashi's sleeve like a lost child. "Sasuke's not going to die or anything, right?"

"Calm down, Naruto," Kakashi disengaged Naruto's hand from his clothing. He stood and walked over to Sasuke, placing a hand on the unconscious boy's forehead. He frowned slightly, then moved to place two fingers beneath Sasuke's jawline, just on the neck. Naruto watched with wide, worried eyes, until Kakashi finished his impromptu examination. "He's down with a fever and has a weak pulse." The man announced. As he was about to explain further, the door to the room creaked open.

"That's right," it was Iruka, and he agreed with Kakashi with a nod, before turning to close the door and placing the fresh basin of water by the table beside the bed. After wetting a towel with the water and placing it over Sasuke's forehead, he picked up the offensive item they had pulled from the boy in a messy operation. Said item had been abandoned to the floor until now. "This arrow has been smeared with poison, and it was barely two inches away from his heart." He let his eyes rest upon Sasuke. "I'm surprised he's still alive. This was an attack intended to kill."

"It wasn't intended to kill /him, that's why!" Naruto stood suddenly, upturning the chair he had been sitting on. The two adults in the room stared at him in surprise as he continued, "If he hadn't pushed me aside... if he hadn't... then... I would have..."

Light dawned on both Iruka's and Kakashi's faces. They turned to stare at each other, suddenly understanding what might have transpired between the two boys. Sasuke mumbled something and tossed about, causing the towel on his forehead to drop off. Iruka then attended to the boy quickly, while Kakashi approached Naruto with a stern countenance.

"Naruto," the man said, and Naruto immediately looked up at him. "Did you see who the attacker was?"

The blond scrunched his face up in an attempt to remember. He then shook his head from side to side. "No... too many people gathering around. Couldn't see anybody beyond the first layer..."

"But Kakashi-san," Iruka had replaced the towel on Sasuke's head. He spun around slightly, "the fact that someone out there is premediating an attack on Naruto means that..."

"This whole thing reeks of Orochimaru's style," Kakashi scowl was almost visible through his mask. He strolled over to Sasuke's bedside again and stared long and hard at the prone figure lying there. In a while, he lifted his headband up from over his left eye. He opened it to reveal a red iris, complete with three spiral dots. With the strange new eye, he scrutinised Sasuke again.

Naruto had taken a step back instinctively when he saw Kakashi's hidden eye. He had never seen Kakashi lift his headband from over that eye before, and had assumed that he was simply blind in that eye. This was certainly news to him.

When he recovered enough and was about to ask something, though, Iruka hushed him with a hand on his lips. They watched as Kakashi lifted the covers slightly and peered at Sasuke's bandaged injury. The silence grew suspenseful, when Kakashi's eyes widened slightly. He put his free hand over his chin, pondering. Eventually he tossed the covers to one side and stepped away.

When he turned around, he was greeted with two pairs of overly serious, inquisitive eyes.

"Well?" Iruka demanded. "See anything that might give us a clue?"

"Sensei!" Naruto was awed. "Your eye! That's so cool! Where can I get one like that!"

Unfazed, Kakashi simply shot the duo a smile each. "Come along, children, and get back to your seats. The demonstration is just about to begin!" He herded them back to their seats with a sunny smile, adjusting his headband so that it now covered over the reddish eye again. Naruto and Iruka complied, both sitting gingerly back into the available seats.

"What's going on, Kakashi-san?" Iruka asked meekly, knowing that despite how frivolous Kakashi was acting at the moment, he meant serious business in the background.

"Hush now, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi formed a single seal with his hands as he spoke. "This isn't something I can explain by words alone." He closed his eyes and concentrated, a surge of Chakra suddenly filling the room up. "Kai!"

The release Jutsu came into effect immediately. Naruto and Iruka blinked at the same time, opening their eyes to see something suddenly different.

"Sasuke!" Iruka gasped, standing immediately and running towards the bedside. Naruto stood as well, though he was not sure what for yet. When he followed Iruka and got nearer to the bed, however, he began to see what both Iruka and Kakashi had gotten so flustered over.

All the while when Iruka had been treating Sasuke's chest injury previously, Naruto had seen nothing but pale, but otherwise flawless skin. Now that Kakashi had released the illusion surrounding the skin, however, Naruto was looking at something else entirely.

Huge gashes and large scars marred most of the Uchiha's visible skin. Some of them were fresh and yet to have fully healed, still red and sore with blood. One particularly nasty scar ran from Sasuke's right cheek all the way down to mid-stomach, ending in a huge blob of messily repaired and overlapping skin - evidence that this injury, though serious, had been quite old. There were so many other equally awful looking scars, both old and new, that Naruto wondered where and what Sasuke had been doing with his life all this time.

"Oh!" Kakashi suddenly quipped, pointing at the long scar Naruto had been staring at. "I remember that one!" He continued, much to the confusion of the other two present. Sheepishly scratching his hair, he explained, "I accidentally torched him a bit when teaching him the Chidori, quite some years ago."

Naruto bodyfaulted to the ground. Iruka resisted the urge to stab the constable to death with the poison arrow.

"The other scars are new, though," Kakashi's expression turned serious, as he gazed sadly at the other scars and injuries that decorated Sasuke's torso like ribbons and awards.

"Whoever did this," Naruto said, as he continued staring, "must have been really sick in the head." He finished his declaration, tone serious. Iruka gulped audibly, but he nodded to show his approval.

Kakashi gazed at the two of them for a while more. He then lowered his glance to Sasuke, and reversed the seal he had been holding, meaning to return the illusion to its original form. And he would have, if Iruka had not grabbed him by a wrist. The tutor shook his head firmly.

"Please erase the illusion permanently, Kakashi-san," the man spoke commandingly, surprising even the chief constable, who stared at him strangely. Just two minutes ago Iruka had been literally shaking on the spot by the hideous scars on Sasuke, and now he was back to his old, stubborn self. "I will treat to all the rest of his injuries as well."

Kakashi stared at Iruka for a while more, then shrugged. "If you say so, sensei," he stepped away, so that Iruka could have a closer look at the wounds Sasuke bore behind the illusion. "But I must warn you that even /I/ cannot remove this Genjutsu permanently, though I can abate it for a while," he smiled reassuringly at the surprised Iruka, "so please try your best, but make it really quick!"

"Kakashi-sensei, what's going on?" Naruto asked, as soon as he felt the time was right. Kakashi had removed himself from the immediate presence of the bed, sitting down on a nearby stool instead. "Why does Sasuke have so many scars and injuries? And why does he need to hide them all up?"

Iruka was busily attending to the rest of Sasuke's wounds, but it was not hard to tell that he had an ear on the conversation in the room as well. "Well, Naruto-kun," Kakashi began, in his usual slow drawl, "do you want the long, or short version?"

"JUST ANSWER ME ALREADY, DAMMIT!" The blond screeched, causing Kakashi to duck his head slightly.

"All right, all right," the constable stuck a finger into his ear to see if anything inside was damaged by the shriek. "In brief answer to your questions, then, Sasuke has so many injuries because someone has obviously been hunting him down like an animal. Hiding his wounds and putting on a mask of nonchalance is absolutely essential for wanted criminals like him, who will have law enforcers waiting to catch him at every turn of the corner. He has to make it seem like he is in top condition, so that most sane constables will leave him alone after giving chase for a while. That's why he has a Genjutsu cast on his body. Understood?" He cocked an eyebrow at the boy.

Naruto was looking rather shocked. "You mean the police constables did all these terrible things to him?"

Kakashi snorted. "If anyone in the constable force is strong enough to leave such wounds on Uchiha Sasuke, and so many times, too, then I'd like to meet that fellow," he shook his head. "No, Naruto," he finally answered. "I don't think the constables have anything to do with it this time."

"Orochimaru," Iruka spat the name out like it was deadly poison. He was dabbing some medicine onto one of the larger, more recent gash on Sasuke's right arm, and frowned hard at the wound. "He's been hunting Sasuke down... probably from since Sasuke ran away from the Palace with the Sword of Jewels."

Kakashi glanced at Iruka. "And why would that be so?" He prompted.

"I think Sasuke has mentioned before that the Sword is the representation of sovereign power in this land," Iruka pointed out. "It is a well known fact that anyone who manages to seize it and produce it before the masses on an appropriate occasion will have a right to challenge the current ruler for power."

"But Sasuke also clarified that that isn't how the Sword is supposed to be used," Kakashi shrugged. "Even if Orochimaru has the Sword, as long as he can't pull it out of the sheath, he has no right to the throne." To accentuate his point, Kakashi took the Sword of Jewels, which had been lying on the table beside the bed Sasuke was in, and held it sheath and hilt. He tugged, but the Sword stayed in the sheath. He tugged again, harder. The Sword did not so much as budge. He gave Iruka a knowing look.

"Yes, yes," Iruka's head bobbed up and down while he rolled his eyes slightly, "but how many people actually know about that?" He sighed. "It was a well-guarded royal secret only the the Uchiha clan was privy to - of which only two are left, one of whom is with Orochimaru and the other of whom is a wanted criminal..." he let his voice trail. "Not to mention this secret method of identification has never been used before in all of our land's history." This time, it was Iruka who shot Kakashi a knowing look. "Will any normal citizen, less say the royal council, take the words of a wanted criminal seriously?"

Kakashi's face turned brooding. And it was Naruto who next spoke up. "So?" He puffed up self-righteously. "Just make sure that Orochimaru creep doesn't so much as come near the Sword, isn't that easy?" He beamed, evidently proud at his suggestion. Kakashi turned his moody eyes to the blond.

"Do you know who Orochimaru is?" The silver-haired warrior eventually asked.

"He's the biggest jerk on the whole land, anyway I see it!" Naruto tossed a fist into the air.

"Well, yes, a bit of that," Kakashi agreed with a casual shrug. "More importantly though," he waved a finger before his face, "he is the Royal General of State." He paused, to see if Naruto was listening. He was, but he had a look of confusion on his face. Kakashi wondered if he should laugh or sigh. "It means, Naruto," he eventually gave up both ideas and simply continued, "that he is the most powerful fighter in the entire land. More powerful than any one person in the entire state's military forces, including," he chuckled dryly, "the constable force."

Naruto's eyes were wide with awe. "Including you?" He asked, voice soft with disbelief.

"Including me," Kakashi confirmed. There was no hint of joking in his voice at all. He allowed a second to pass for the information to fully sink in, but before Naruto could burst out in dramatics he rose to full height first and carried on his explanation. "While it may be true that Sasuke is strong, he is not the strongest. If he were to meet up with Orochimaru head-on in a one to one, he would have no chance at all. He won't just lose the Sword," Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, "...he'll lose his life as well."

This time, Naruto's reaction was swifter than before. "But he's done it for three years!" He declared. "That's gotta prove something!"

"Yes, Naruto, it does prove something," Iruka interjected, beads of sweat rolling down his cheeks as he tried to bandage up the smaller but older wounds Sasuke was bearing. "It proves that Orochimaru himself has never come out of the Palace to deal with Sasuke personally. All this time, he has been sending assassins and subordinates, which explains why Sasuke have survived thus far, although also with quite a bit of injuries..." he breathed a soft sigh, wiping a hand absently over his forehead. "And now that Orochimaru's target has apparently shifted to YOU," he looked at Naruto sternly in the eye, "means that Orochimaru already knows about your true status. He is obviously trying to get rid of any obstacle that stands in his way to the throne. And Naruto, you're the biggest one."

"Who cares about whether that guy's after me or not!" Naruto yelled, bouncing his way towards where Sasuke was with Iruka. "So in short, all these big wounds are on Sasuke because some pervert guy called Orochimaru was trying to steal the Sword of Jewels away from him, right? And Sasuke's been running away from both assassins and constables for the past three years of his life, right?" He got more and more agitated with each passing word of remark.

Iruka gaped in surprise, wondering what he should say in response.

It did not seem to matter to the blond. Naruto turned stalked towards Kakashi, grabbing the Sword and holding it in his hands. "Oh dammit! Now I'm all riled up!" He pulled the Sword out of the sheath effortlessly, making Kakashi feel slightly jealous as he waved the beautiful sword about in the air. "I've decided!" He announced, the Sword still high up in the air. "I'm going back with Sasuke to this Palace place and I'm gonna take on that Orochimaru guy and crush him to pieces!"

In just one split second, everything fell into silence. Suddenly, crickets started chirping.

"Naruto! Do you /know/ what you're talking about!" Iruka dropped the roll of bandages he had been holding onto the floor and stood abruptly. His eyes were bugged out and his mouth was wide open.

"Congratulations, Naruto!" Kakashi, however, was all smiles and he took Naruto's hand into his own, shaking them warmly, much to the ire of Iruka. "I thought this day would never come!"

"Oh yeah!" Naruto lowered the Sword and grinned like there would be no tomorrow to do it. "I'm gonna go kick some ass, yeah!"

"You want to go up against /Orochimaru," Iruka tried to contain his incredulity. "Are you absolutely mad!"

"No, sensei!" Naruto glowed. "I'm your brave and courageous little boy and I'm gonna go do you proud!"

"Yes he is," Kakashi nodded in the background, ignoring the glares Iruka was shooting in his direction.

"Naruto, are you really serious about this?" Iruka had calmed down considerably by now. His protective nature slowly relaxed, and his logical side took over.

"Sensei, I may love to pull pranks, but I won't joke about things like these!" Naruto made a face. Then he straightened it. "Sasuke's went through so much trouble to find some guy who can pull this damn sword out of the sheath - for three whole years," he began, slowly. "He had to go against the law and against bad eggs like Orochimaru, and he never gave up... isn't going to give up anytime soon." He lowered his gaze to the floor. "I guess I could learn something from his goal-orientated persistence and stop being such a flop in everything I do..." The slight despondancy was quickly erased with a wide scowl. "Even /if/ he's always being such a bastard about it!"

Kakashi actually laughed. "Well said, Naruto," he pat the blond on his head. "I couldn't have said it better myself!"

Naruto just grinned up at the man. From one side, Iruka sighed into his palm.

"And when exactly do you intend to leave for the Palace?" He half-mumbled, knowing he was powerless to influence Naruto's decisions anymore. Not that he had been a very powerful influence up to now, anyway.

"Uumm..." Naruto had to ponder over this carefully. "...as soon as Sasuke gets well?"

"No." Iruka immediately voiced his disapproval. Naruto and Kakashi both glanced at him strangely, as if they did not understand his words, so he repeated, "No, you will not leave once Sasuke gets well. You leave tomorrow morning, before the sun rises." He gazed back into their eyes. "With or without Sasuke. Whether or not he is well."

It took both Naruto and Kakashi a while before the whole import of Iruka's words sank in. "What!" Naruto was the first to burst out loud. "But we can't possibly just leave him here by himself-"

"Naruto," Iruka sternly stated. "You're going to the Palace alone, if Sasuke doesn't wake up in time. Or if he's not well enough to travel."

Naruto's shoulders sagged slightly. "You're not coming along, sensei?"

"You're going there to stop the coronation, not for a picnic, Naruto," Iruka warned. "You don't need Kakashi-san or myself to be hanging around you."

"But-"

"Iruka-sensei is right," Kakashi waved a hand absently. "If you can't even make it to the Palace by your own strength, then how will you be able to stand against Orochimaru?"

This effectively sealed up whatever whine or complaint Naruto had upon his lips. He snapped his mouth shut and stared meaningfully at his two teachers, both of whom stared back solemnly. Without a change in his features he suddenly raised the hand holding the Sword again. "Special training until morning!" He declared, then broke into a dash out of the room before either sensei could say anything. Even when he was completely out of sight and sound, neither Iruka nor Kakashi turned to stare at each other, both having their eyes fixed firmly on the door Naruto had just exited from.

"...are you sure you're not going with him back to the Palace?" It was Kakashi, his voice unconvinced.

Iruka smiled wistfully, his hand reaching up to feel the necklace he wore through the fabric of his clothing. "He won't be a good ruler, if he can't even clear this little hurdle by himself..."

Next to the thoughtful Iruka, lying still on the bed; Sasuke suddenly frowned lightly, fingers twitching. As if in response to the conversation just held.

Or a nightmare, unseen by no one but himself.

**————————————————————————  
7/2/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd**

**prompted by evvy's review, i'm so sorry i didn't make it clearer from the start. there will be no pairings in this fic. absolutely zero. sorry if i kept any of your hopes up. i'm trying to build a strong friendship for naruto/sasuke, not romance, so if you're reading for romance, i'm really sorry because you won't find it here. :( thanks for sticking with me until this far though! and don't forget to vote for your favourite naruto fics at the naruto fanfiction awards!**

**finalknight . net / naruto / vote . html **


	11. Chapter Ten

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

**Note: No pairings. Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! You have been warned.**

**———————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
****———————————————————**  
** Chapter Ten**

Sasuke felt very tired.

Three years of aimless wandering, searching for a needle in a haystack, hiding from lawful eyes in the light of day, and fighting against assassins in the darkness of the night had certainly been no easy task. He was reluctant to admit it even to himself, but this long mission had tired him down so much, he did not know how to go on anymore.

That man /had/ warned Sasuke that the mission would not be a bed of roses. Set out the terms and conditions, so to speak, before Sasuke on that fateful night. And ultimately, Sasuke had been the one to accept the mission. It had started with the theft of the Sword of Jewels, after which Sasuke knew there was no turning back. He knew he would face up with enemies and challenges beyond his wildest imagination, and he was not disappointed in that aspect. There was just one final term in the contract he had to fulfill to be a free man again. One last condition to freedom.

He had to find the Prince. And now, just a few days before the coronation of the monarch that was not his, he had found his prince. Not quite the prince he had been expecting to find, but he had found him all the same. Even if he was not around, Kakashi would be more than happy to bring the Prince back to the Palace.

So this should mean that he was free.

This should mean that he was finally free, right?

But.

Free from what?

All his life, he looked forward to this one moment. When he would finally fulfill his commission and be free once more. But little did he know, that this mission would become his life. It became the reason he breathed, walked, lived. So if he was free from it, did it mean that he was to give up living as well? Not that he minded. His body was already hurting all over from the many pains suffered through the years. It would be nice to be able to feel no more pain at all. But there was something else that did not fit in. There was something else he was forgetting.

It had something to do with that man. That man who gave him this mission.

/And after you complete your mission, Sasuke/ the voice was clear in his mind, as if he had just heard the instructions yesterday/come home./

"...come home..." Sasuke repeated to himself. "...home..." This certainly sounded new. Suddenly, he could see himself and that man, standing in the backyard of the Palace. That man was talking, and he was listening, young and bright-eyed with wonder and awe. Come to think of it, he did quite miss training in the Palace backyards, where the Uchiha patrolled frequently. If he was still welcomed back, then he supposed it was worth a try to stay alive for a little while more. Just to see how things worked out.

And so he did.

Sasuke opened his eyes.

The ceiling disorientated him slightly, before he realised he was lying on a soft, comfortable bed. He was also feeling physically better than he had been the last time he was awake, and he felt strangely clean. He sat up to examine himself. It was then that he noticed he had been bandaged. Not just at the spot where he had taken the arrow for Naruto, but at the other areas where he had been hurt before as well. He stroked a particular huge wad of bandage curled around his midriff absently, wondering how anybody could have seen through that Genjutsu. Before he could come up with an answer, shouts and screeches from outside the window of the empty room attracted his attention.

Deciding that he had nothing better to do anyway, he tossed the covers off himself and walked slowly to the window. With a hand on the sill, he glanced out. This particular window overlooked the backyard of the building, where there was a small garden with a pond in one dark corner. Wild grass grew everywhere else. Except for a small pavilion and a pathway from the building that led there, there was no other man made object in sight. The yard itself was not very big, which explained why Sasuke caught sight of the source of the noise immediately.

It was Naruto. And he was practicing strokes with a large, unfamiliar looking sword.

Kakashi stood beside Naruto, somewhat hidden by the darkness. He had a watchful eye on every twist and turn the blond made. Occasionally he made a comment that was nothing more than a plain statement, for Sasuke could not hear it from where he was, one storey up. He could tell that Naruto hung on to every word the chief constable spoke like it was a lifeline though, for he would nod incessantly and continue with a new set of moves.

Sasuke just kept staring. He had no idea what to make of this strange scene.

"Sasuke!" A strangled cry noted him to the fact that someone had just entered the room. He vaguely wondered to himself why he had not felt anyone coming in at all. Turning around quickly and getting into a defensive pose, he saw that it was just an angry looking Iruka, so he relaxed slightly. As soon as he did, however, he tensed again. An angry looking Iruka, he reasoned, was almost as lethal as a very determined assassin. He had to tread carefully, lest he be slayed suddenly.

Iruka slithered forward, brows furrowed. "What are you doing out of bed so soon?" He pointed at the bandages on Sasuke, some of which had growing smudges of blood on them. "Look! You're reopening the wounds! It wasn't easy for us to dispel that illusion to tend to you, you know!"

Sasuke took a step back. "/You/ dispelled the Genjutsu on me?" He sounded surprised.

"It was Kakashi-san who did," Iruka clarified, waving his hands about dismissively. "Does it matter who did?" His countenance became sterner than ever. "Now young man, sit down and explain to me why you have such a powerful Genjutsu cast on you, or you'll never be hearing the end of it from me!" He roared, and pointed to a stool by the windowside.

Sasuke gulped, inexplicably frightened. He sat down on the stool almost instinctively, staring wide-eyed at Iruka all the time. "Someone put the Genjutsu on me so that I can mislead Orochimaru's men into thinking I heal faster than normal." He started to blabber, not knowing why. "It's kept me alive from pursuers for all these years."

Iruka scrutinised his face, as if trying to discern if he was telling the truth or lying. Eventually, he gave a tired sigh. Walking up to Sasuke, he put a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. Sasuke resisted the urge to swat the hand away, knowing it was not supposed to be threatening. "Sasuke," Iruka began, mildly but firmly, "there is a limit to how much injuries a human body can sustain. If they had brought you in for treatment any later, you would have slipped into a coma and even the best doctor in the world would have been helpless to try to nurse you back to health."

Sasuke looked away, out of the window. "It's not like I /asked/ to have constables and assassins on my case," he mumbled.

"Yes, but you could have treated your older injuries before they got so badly infected," Iruka pointed out. "Do you /know/ how long it takes to clean puss out from a sore wound?"

Sasuke looked blankly at Iruka. Evidently he did not know. "But I'm alive, and I don't feel too bad," the boy shrugged, making Iruka remove his hand from his shoulder. "As long as I can still go on, I don't have time to care about wounds I can't see." His eyes narrowed slightly. "...and what is the idiot doing out there at this time of the night anyway?" He looked at Iruka, then out of the window, to where Naruto and Kakashi had paused in practicing to discuss about something.

Iruka strolled over and took a glance out as well. Then he smiled resignatedly. "Well, Kakashi-san's giving Naruto special training before he sets off, so Naruto's making the most of it." He looked at the increasingly confused Sasuke. "It's not everyday he can train in the backyard with Kakashi without getting scolded by me, after all!"

"Where is he going?" Sasuke quipped, a small spark of hope flaring up within him. Iruka smiled warmly at him.

"He's going home, Sasuke," the royal tutor pat the boy on his head fondly. And Sasuke was too bowled over by the import of those words to resist. "He's going back to where he should be."

For a while Sasuke simply stared in disbelief at the tutor. Then he opened his mouth, his voice small. "Really?" He asked, as if fearing that if he were to speak any louder, he would be roused from this pleasant dream. "He's going to return to the Palace?"

"I would think that the fact that he's been practicing with the Sword of Jewels would testify to that," Iruka tilted his head out to prompt Sasuke about the scene outside the window. The Uchiha gazed outside, noticing that Naruto was indeed practicing with a sword he did not quite recognise. As the blond swung the weapon, and the blade caught the moonlight, however, recognition sank in. This was the same blade he had seen in the back alley that fateful day, when he first met Naruto.

Immediately, a lump formed in his throat. He did not know what to say or feel. After all, he had been intending to knock Naruto unconscious and drag him back to the Palace if need be. Who would have thought that the boy would suddenly have a change in heart? "What made him change his mind?" He could not help asking. He glanced tentatively at the guardian.

Iruka looked levelly at Sasuke. "I wouldn't know for sure." He laughed. "Wouldn't it be better for you to ask him about it yourself?" And that was the only thing he would say in reply.

Sasuke frowned slightly. He turned away. "Maybe," he muttered non-committedly, evidently still reeling mentally from the impact of the situation. He leaned against the window sill, observing Naruto as he practiced. Iruka almost laughed again. The young Uchiha certainly needed to learn how to be more honest with himself.

"Sasuke," Iruka was smiling, but he meant grave business. "Now that you're awake, I guess I should at least ask you to make sure." He paused, and Sasuke turned from the window to glance at him questioningly. Iruka took a deep breath. "Will you accompany Naruto on his journey home, just to help me see if he behaves himself?"

Sasuke took less than a split second to consider that. "Hah!" He snorted, turning his head in another direction. "I bet the moron doesn't even know where the Palace is! Of course I'm going with him...!" His bold declaration had a detrimental effect on the wound he had just received, and he exploded into a series of coughing and hackling. Trying to catch his breath, he leaned his head against the window, looking out again at the same time. As his gaze fell upon the hard-at-work Naruto once more, questions began to form in his mind. "Iruka-sensei," he began, when he felt well enough. "You're not coming along with us, are you?"

"No," Iruka smiled. He said nothing else.

A long silence passed.

"You're hiding something," Sasuke observed coolly. He also observed that Naruto had swung the Sword too forcefully and crashed into a tree. Kakashi stood to a side and looked amused. "What are you hiding?"

A pause.

"When someone is trying to hide something, it usually means that he has no desire to let anybody know what he is hiding," Iruka replied, voice equally cool and slightly patronising. Sasuke scoffed.

"Not when it concerns the Prince and his return to the Palace," the boy turned his head slightly to look at Iruka, who was looking upon his feet, bothered by something. They remained like this, each staring at one thing and thinking about another, for a while. Sasuke eventually found his chin back on the window sill. "It's okay, sensei," he mumbled. "We all have our secrets." He let his hands dangle out to feel the cool breeze. "Not that I think that it's ever going to happen, but..." his voice turned serious. "...if you're keeping any secrets that will bring harm to the Naruto, then-"

"If I ever do have such a secret," Iruka's smile was wide, "you can be sure that I would sooner leap into the sea bound and shackled first, than to let it harm Naruto in any way."

"...thought so..." Sasuke slacked, then yawned. "That little moron's a lot more suitable to lead than he gives himself credit for..."

Iruka could feel his eyebrows rising and falling in semi-exasperation. "Sasuke," he began, trying to be cautious, "do you really think you should call your future ruler names like that?"

Sasuke's immediately reply was to snicker loudly. "No matter how well he can fight or how suitable he is to rule, idiots will always be idiots."

"I HEARD THAT SASUKE!"

"Good," Sasuke waved lazily at the raging Naruto, who was jumping up and down on the grass downstairs. His face was turning many interesting shades of red. Steam seemed to pour out from his ears. "You were supposed to, moron," Sasuke continued without let-up.

Naruto leapt about once more, then pointed the Sword at Sasuke. "Damn you!" He swore in a fit of rage.

Then a bolt of stunning white energy shot out from the blade into the skies. Everyone was taken aback at the sudden development. Even Naruto fell to the ground, gaping. They all watched until the bolt of energy pierced through the clouds and vanished into the night sky, twinkling as if it were a star.

"I didn't do that," Naruto declared, sounding a little out of it.

"We can all see that, dead-last," Sasuke concurred.

"HEY!" Naruto immediately got onto his feet and was ready to shout his reply back.

"Children, children," Kakashi, however, got ahead of either boy, waving his hands about in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "You can fight all you want once day breaks tomorrow, but in the meantime, can we concentrate on the task on hand first?" He smiled.

"But he called me an idiot!" Naruto relentlessly pressed on, pointing up at the nonchalant Sasuke.

"Well, would you rather he call you darling?" Kakashi asked, very calmly.

A cold, cold gust of wind swept through the backyard, curling up into the room where Sasuke and Iruka were in.

"No," Naruto's voice was cold as well. He was shivering. "No, thank you." He firmly stated.

"Then get the hell back to whatever you both should be doing before setting off for the Palace!" The constable commanded authoratively, all traces of playfulness evaporated. "Look at you both! Squabbling like little pigs headed for slaughter! If you can't even compromise on small issues like these, how are you going to be able to face Orochimaru and the royal council?"

For a while, the air stilled. Neither Naruto nor Sasuke had considered about the gravity of the matter until Kakashi brought it up. Now, they both hung their heads low in shame.

As usual, it was Naruto who spoke up first. "All right, all right," he sounded complaining, but there was a determined look on his face. "I get it already!"

"Good," Kakashi's eye became an upturned U, to indicate his gladness about both his student's ability to catch on. "Then let's restart our trai-"

"Okay, Sasuke!" Naruto's shout drowned out whatever else Kakashi had intended to say. He pointed at the window sill where the nonchalant Sasuke was slumped over. "You can call me 'darling', if it can get you to stop calling me names!"

The silence that next occurred was unprecedented and would never again be heard.

"But only when we're alone or others'll start getting ideas!" The blond continued, proud of his solution and blissfully oblivious to the turmoil he was stirring up within the others.

Kakashi had walked over to a tree and was now clutching his sides, trying hard not to laugh out loud. Iruka sighed, too familiar with Naruto's sudden and uncharacteristic outbursts to be surprised anymore. Only Sasuke remained outwardly calm and composed throughout the entire ordeal.

That is, until he uprooted a nearby chair and tossed it out of the window, straight at the grinning Naruto.

The night ended with the blond's yowl of pain. And Kakashi's uncontrollable laughter.

**———————————————————**  
**7/2/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd**

**many thanks for all your support and kind words:3 glad to know that there are fans of the friendship fluff type in the naruto fandom after all! XDD i do not stand alone! **


	12. Chapter Eleven

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Eleven

Iruka had been watching the sun rise from the roof of the hideout he had been staying with Naruto all these past few years. It was now mid-morning. The sun basked the land in a warm, welcoming glow. Iruka sighed under his breath, shifting his weight and resting his chin upon another upraised knee. He glanced over the horizon, out into the plains that were beyond the city boundaries. He sighed again.

"Iruka-sensei, don't know you that they say you grow older faster, if you sigh too much on a beautiful morning like this?"

For a second, Iruka let his head dip, so that his knees covered his expression entirely. He mumbled something unintelligible. After a while, the tutor raised his head, staring out into the distance once more. "Kakashi-san," he greeted monotonously, completely ignoring what the other man had said earlier. "Good morning to you too."

There was the sound of an abrupt closing of a book from somewhere to his left. Iruka did not know whether he should feel offended that Kakashi had dared to read porn on /his/ rooftop - so early in the morning too, or if he should feel special that the constable chief had bothered to actually close his porn book to possibly; hopefully, concentrate on the conversation Iruka did not really want to have. He ran a hand through his hair, stifling a sigh. And he was having such a good morning view, too!

"It sure is quieter around here without him around, isn't it?" Kakashi suddenly pointed out, voice soft and ambiguous.

Iruka's eyes remained unflinching. "The town people will be glad for the respite," his failing voice, however, betrayed his true feelings about Naruto's departure.

"That certainly remains to be seen," Kakashi laughed loudly once. He turned his head so that he was now facing Iruka. "Are you really sure you don't want to be there to see him through to the end?"

A morning bird chirped.

"I think I've mentioned before," Iruka rose to his feet while saying, "that he cannot be a good king if he has to depend on others all the time. And besides," he returned Kakashi's stare with a slight smile. "...we have something more important to do here for now, don't you think?"

Kakashi kept a watchful eye on his companion, the look on his face unreadable. He soon broke into a wide grin, however, and concurred a little too happily, that, "Yes. I'm afraid we do."

—————————————————————

"Hmm hmmm hm hmm hmmm" Naruto was humming a random tune to himself. Together with Sasuke, they were walking along the main trading route between the capital city and its outskirt towns. The blond took large strides forward, ignoring the strange stares he was attracting from passersby on the same road with his outlandish singing. "Hey, Sasuke!" He turned around to address the moody boy lurking behind him. "Hah! You were here all along?" He turned his nose up in mock disgust. "Could've fooled me! You haven't uttered a single word since we stepped out of town!"

Sasuke shot the hyperactive boy a sharp glare. Or at least, he had meant to. His latest injury, coupled with the fact that he hardly got enough sleep the night before, transformed his usually lethal glare into something like a cross between a drunken glare and the tired eyes of someone about to go to sleep. He rubbed his eyes when they started to go out of focus. "Idiot," he did not forget his daily habit of taunting of Naruto, even in his state of semi-consciousness, smirking when Naruto growled with displeasure.

"You're such an asshole!" Naruto complained loudly, tossing both hands into the air. "Why do I get to end up with you! Why can't Iruka-sensei or Kakashi-sensei follow me around instead!"

Sasuke looked at Naruto, his wide eyes and facial expression reading 'are-you-serious!'. He turned away after a while, putting a palm on his forehead in exasperation. "Because you're an idiot, that's why," he declared, much to Naruto's further annoyance. He held a hand up to stop Naruto's expected outburst. "Naruto, if we all just suddenly disappeared from town at the same time, what report do you think the spies planted there will bring back to Orochimaru?"

Naruto blinked. There were spies? "Umm... they'll just tell him that we've all gone away?"

"Precisely," Sasuke turned away and continued down the path, Naruto tagging along quietly, for once, behind him. "And he will probably send more high-level assassins to either kill us all or delay us until the coronation is over. That totally defeats our purpose in getting out of town in the first place, then."

"But isn't it the same thing anyway if just the both of us come out of town?" Naruto pouted. "That Orochisomething-pervert'll still be informed and he'll still try to delay us somehow, wouldn't he?"

"That's when Iruka-sensei and Kakashi come in," Sasuke smirked. "They'll keep the spies busy for us while we slip away."

"I see..." Naruto stated, although he did not really see. "...how?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto, slightly frustrated. "With this," he said, and made a hand seal, but he make sure he did not channel the necessary Chakra to complete the Jutsu. As he stared at the hand seal, Naruto's eyes widened with sudden understanding.

"Oh!" He sputtered, then grinned and laughed. "Henge no Jutsu! I see! I totally see it now!"

He stopped laughing when he was whapped upside the head by Sasuke. "I'm glad I managed to at least get that through that thick head of yours. Now let's go before the spies figure out what's happened and start coming after us instead."

"You didn't have to hit me so hard!" Naruto yelled and ran after the briskly walking Sasuke. "Bastard!"

"Keep it down already!" Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "We're trying not to attract too much attention to ourselves, in case you've forgotten!"

"Hah, don't worry so much, Sasuke," Naruto slapped his friend heartily on his back, causing the Uchiha to lose his balance momentarily and stumble forward. "Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei'll keep all them stupid spies completely tricked with their perfect impersonation of us, so no spy'll be turning their eyes anywhere else in a long while!"

Sasuke could feel an uneasy chill going up his spine. "I hope, for their sakes, that they better be."

—————————————————————

At that precise moment back at town, 'Naruto' and 'Sasuke' were mingling with the crowds, walking along the main commercial road, towards a yet unknown destination. Unknown, that is, until they came to a stop outside the looming doors of a multi-storey book store built into the wall of a large building.

"Kakas...I mean, hey, asshole! What the hell are we doing here for?" 'Naruto' frowned at his companion, sizing him up from the corner of his eyes, then turning to scrutinise the book store. This fellow couldn't possibly be thinking of... !

In turn, 'Sasuke' sneered knowingly at 'Naruto'. He then pushed open the doors to the bookstore and entered into it silently. Throughout his entire act, he muttered not a single word at all.

/Oh.../ Iruka thought to himself, mentally slapping his forehead. /...oh, Sasuke... the impending image of you giggling over porn shall remain locked forever in my mind and will be told to no one else. I solemnly promise/ Outwardly, he screeched, "Hey, wait for me!" before diving head-first into the store as well.

—————————————————————

The chill stopped after a while, and Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. He slowly strolled to a stop, standing beneath one of the trees planted along the roadside. Following his cue, Naruto stopped as well. He glanced first at Sasuke, then at what Sasuke was staring at. There was nothing in particular that was interesting. They had travelled quite a distance from since the break of sunrise, and so the high turrets and rooftops of the capital city was already in sight. A wooden horse carriage rumbled past the duo when Naruto prodded Sasuke with an elbow. "Hey, why the sudden stop?"

Sasuke's initial response was silence. He tapped a finger against his temple and backed away from the tiled road, padding onto the soft grass that thrived around the wide path they had been on. Finding a shady spot somewhere near a small clearing which was surrounded by a couple of thick tree roots, he sauntered over casually, still in a thinking pose. Perplexed, Naruto simply followed.

Once the duo were seated on the grass with legs outstretched, Naruto popped the question again, "What do you think you're doing, all of a sudden?"

"I'm just thinking," Sasuke began, "that my face may not be exactly very welcomed in the royal capital city, not especially to the boundary constable guards who will be on high alert with the coronation so close in sight... and boundary guards should be well trained to see through Henge no Jutsu so that's out of the question..."

"Heey..." Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly, while Sasuke rambled on. "Here I was, thinking that nothing in this world could ever faze you. Looks like you do have a fear of something after all, huh?" He grinned widely, poking the solemn boy in his ribs mischievously.

"And whose fault do you think it is!" Sasuke snapped angrily. When Naruto stared blankly at him, he buried his face in a palm and continued, "Aargh! Nevermind! Why do I always have to get so angry over an idiot like you anyway!"

"Because I'm that damn Prince guy you've been looking for three years, and you will listen to every word I say!" Naruto stated boldly, loudly. To prove his point, he held the Sword of Jewels - Kakashi had commanded that he hold on to it - in his hands and unsheathed it very loudly. Sasuke glared at him - a glare of defeat, and so Naruto's grin became wider. He slid the blade back into the sheath and held the Sword up against the skies, letting it glitter in the glory of the sun. "I should rename this sword or something. Sword-that-shuts-Sasuke-up has a nice ring to it, huh-OOF!" He was greeted with a sound punch in the face. As he toppled over from the pain, Sasuke rubbed at his smarting fist.

"Fist-that-shuts-Naruto-up has a much nicer ring to it," he rebutted, without a single twitch of muscle on his calm face. "I can't just saunter in like that because I'm on their wanted list. And you can't just saunter in like that either because the Sword of Jewels will cause an uproar."

"Well so what do you suppose we CAN do, wise-guy?" Naruto finished straightening his nose, and decided that he would pay Sasuke back for this punch some time later. "Can't do this, can't do that... what CAN we do, then?"

Sasuke gave Naruto another long, calculating look. "Aren't you the one who's always giving the surprises? Now's the time for you to show-off that moronic talent of yours."

"Keh!" Naruto scoffed. "If you wanted to ask for my /help, Sasuke, you should just SAY it, you know!" He did not wait to see what Sasuke's face would look like after his declaration. Turning towards the direction of the capital city, he cracked his knuckles, his smile slowly turning sly. "So we need to enter the capital city without letting a single person see us, eh?" He rose to full height, punching both hands at the sky. "Couldn't be easier! Just follow me, then!"

"Before you go off into your heroics," Sasuke rummaged through his tattered looking pack and withdrew a roll of bandages that was scorched and brownish. "We need to disguise the Sword of Jewels before it attracts any more attention. Even to those who do not know its real identity and purpose, the Sword can be, at first glance, an accessory sword encrusted with many precious gems, that can possibly fetch a rather high price in the weaponry black market..." He trailed off suddenly, eyes flashing and muscles suddenly tensing.

"That bad, huh?" Naruto went along with a stale grin, for he, too, had sensed that they had company approaching. "How much can a sword like this fetch anyway?" He turned around slightly, in the direction of the few leering bandits who were rapidly closing the distance between them. "A sword that not anyone can pull out of the sheath at all?"

Sasuke said no further word, and had grabbed his own sword, halfway rising to his feet. He was stopped when Naruto held a hand out and shook his head. He frowned.

"No, Sasuke," he waved his hand frivolously. "Good boy, Sasuke," he continued, much to the indignation of the elite Uchiha. "Let me at 'em," he beamed radiantly, catching Sasuke slightly off guard. "It's been too long since I last kicked some ass, and my skills are getting rusty!" He stretched, turning to face the opponents, who came to a stop before the duo, eyeing the Sword in Naruto's hands with greed in their eyes. "I promise I won't take long!"

"Hey punk!" The leader of the pack of bandits addressed Naruto with an evil grin on his face. "How about letting us see that nice sword of yours you got there, huh?"

"Sure!" Naruto chirped, brandishing the sword. "Up close and personal, even!"****

—————————————————————  
6/2/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd

**i have the coolest people in the world reading my fic. :GROUP GLOMPZ: thanks for all your reassurances :3  
**


	13. Chapter Twelve

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Twelve

"Let's see," Iruka unrolled a sheet of parchment across the wide table of his room. He clapped his hands. "We've walked all over the town, to the places Naruto would usually go to, and pulled a few pranks here and there..." He paused here, making a note on the parchment to apologise to the library and barber at another time later. "We've made a scene in some places, with 'Naruto' loudly refusing to follow 'Sasuke' back to the capital..." He perused the events that had happened for the day. "So far so good!" He smiled to himself, and rolled up the parchment again. "Kakashi-san, did you keep an eye out for the spies that were on our tail all the while?"

"Aah," Kakashi's muffled voice came from the direction of the window, which he was perched upon with one knee upraised. His single eye was trained on the area downstairs, where the hired helpers of the inn were moving to and fro, along with an occasional customer or two. "I don't think they suspected anything."

"That's great," Iruka sighed softly. He sat down at the table and cupped his tired face with his palms. "I only hope we can last until coronation day itself."

At this, Kakashi tilted his head slightly, so that he was now beholding Iruka. He pushed himself off the window sill, choosing to now lean against the wall beside the opening. "Iruka-sensei," he stated, "In view of all the possible danger that we will be facing in the near future, don't you think it's about time you told your side of the story?"

The royal tutor jumped slightly in surprise. His first instinct was to be angered, as he was unhappy about the fact that Kakashi seemed to be insinuating that Iruka had failed to reveal something important. As he prepared to reply angrily, he snapped his mouth shut.

Memories came flooding back to him, of what happened that fateful day he left the Palace for his new assignment - to locate and foster the young Prince Uzumaki Naruto. He suddenly realised that Kakashi's question had been valid and reasonable, so he was muted for a long while. He shifted his weight around, frowning at the floor.

"You could start with the day you left the palace for your new assignment!" Kakashi suddenly blurted happily. Iruka's eyebrow twitched. He wondered why a porn reading constable chief could be so perceptive. "Don't try to weasel out of this one, sensei," Kakashi waved nonchalantly. "I assure you, it'll be much less painful and stressful for you, if you just told me the truth instead of keeping it all to yourself like that."

For a long time, the two men stared at each other, Iruka trying to assess Kakashi's motive, and Kakashi trying to read for a weakness. Neither spoke, both knowing that the first to react after the gauntlet had been thrown would be branded guilty. Kakashi did, however, tilt his head closer to his shoulder, raising his eyebrows as a prompt for Iruka to spill the beans.

It seemed to work somewhat. Iruka looked away, countenance troubled.

"I made a deal with him," the tutor finally murmured softly, which Kakashi might not have known what it was at all, had he not been trained in the art of lip reading.

"With who?" Kakashi gently pressed on, although he already had an idea what could have transpired.

"Orochimaru," Iruka's single-word reply only served to cement Kakashi's speculation. His breath hitched, and he tried very hard not to let his rage show immediately.

"...why?" He finally asked, after he spent quite a while calming himself down.

"I had no choice," Iruka sighed, overturning one of the upturned cups on the table, and pouring some hot tea into it. "My first foot out of the palace that fateful day, he showed himself and said that I was going to end up like the rest of the tutors before me. Not that I gave two hoots about his threats, but he eventually said that..."

"Said that he would hunt Naruto down and kill him for standing in his way to power, didn't he?" Kakashi continued for him, and Iruka nodded somewhat miserably. "It certainly reeks of Orochimaru's style."

"I hadn't met Naruto then," Iruka scratched his head. "But I've been aware of Orochimaru's ambition for a very long time. It seemed rather careless of him to focus his attention on a mere tutor like me, so I figured that there was something more to his coming to meet me than just mere threats."

"Indeed," Kakashi nodded. "If he had attacked you there and then, who knows what kind of case it may have gotten him embroiled with? Obviously he wasn't there to attack you."

"That was what I thought too," Iruka agreed. "But he is sly one, as you are probably very well aware of," Iruka sighed. "Basically, to cut a long story short, Orochimaru told me, in no less words, to get out of the Palace, find the Prince, and keep him away - never bringing him back to the Palace. In return, he promised that he would not lift up a finger against the Prince - that he would spare Naruto's life..." He buried his face in his hands. "It was a difficult decision to make, despite my training to keep the safety of the Prince at an absolute priority. After all... of what use is a Prince's life if he is not even allowed to ascend to his rightful throne? What's more... who in his right frame of mind would believe that Orochimaru would honour his promise, anyway?"

"...True." Kakashi managed to say, after a short silence had passed. He shifted his weight slightly. "That doesn't explain why Orochimaru didn't just strike Naruto when he found out where he was staying, though." He stared at Iruka, his single eye narrowed. "Judging from the number of spies hiding around this city, you would think that Naruto would have been assassinated by now - especially according to Orochimaru's modus operandi."

"Well, that's not quite true," Iruka snickered. "I sent quite a lot of his spies on wild goose chases around the land after I departed from the Palace. It was quite a while before they eventually realised that we were actually staying quite near the capital." The glint in his eyes took on a harder tone. "By then, however, two things have happened to make them unable to strike, even if they wanted to."

"Hmm?" Kakashi's lazy drawl carried an underlying instruction - Tell me.

"First of all," Iruka smoothly continued, holding a finger up, "the Sword of Jewels was stolen. Mind you, I wasn't aware of this until you told me about it. But now that I do know about it, it makes perfect sense why Orochimaru's spies had refused to strike Naruto down until Sasuke showed up with the Sword."

Kakashi glanced once at Iruka. "I see," he mumbled. "Orochimaru was initially unwilling to strike Naruto down because he felt he may need the boy to unsheath the Sword for him, come one day. But when Sasuke showed up at your doorstep with the missing Sword, the situation changed. If the Prince suddenly returned /with/ the Sword, the consequences for him would be nothing less than dire, huh?"

"That's reason number one," Iruka nodded. "Orochimaru had something planned for the Sword, which I am not aware of. All I know is, that the Sword was what was keeping him back from striking at Naruto immediately upon finding out our whereabouts. The second reason," Iruka turned his eyes from the ground to Kakashi firmly, "is because you were here, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi was amused and bemused at the same time. "Do enlighten me," he requested.

"Yes, I know, it seemed rather strange to me as well," Iruka wrinkled his nose. "Orochimaru is the head of all the deputies in the land. Which means the appointment of you to this town as constable chief is his decision alone. I doubted you very much at first, if you remember our initial clashes," Iruka pointed out, and Kakashi snickered slightly at the memories. "But the way you treated Naruto... and especially the way you /rounded up/ the spies of Orochimaru..." Iruka sighed. "I tried to figure out why Orochimaru would do such a thing, and I still don't understand up to now. But this I'm very sure of - the spies have not been able to attack Naruto because of your presence in this town." He smiled slightly. "No matter who you are and what you're going to do, for this alone I am grateful to you for."

"Aww, you're making me blush," Kakashi said sheepishly, although he was nowhere near blushing. He fingered his chin and looked up at the ceiling, thinking about something. "Well, the order for my transfer certainly came from Orochimaru's office," he stated confidently. "And he certainly did not mention anything about Naruto..."

"It doesn't matter," Iruka shook his head. "All of that is over now. Do you understand why now, Kakashi-san?" The teacher looked earnestly at the constable chief. "Do you now understand why I'm trying so desperately to trick Orochimaru's spies and keep them occupied? It's not that I'm sure he will fulfill his promise not to /hurt/ Naruto or anything," he paused. "...it's just that... as long as he has the illusion that Naruto and Sasuke are still in town, then... then we can at least buy them some time to reach the Palace... and do what they're supposed to be doing there."

Kakashi's glance was now back out of the window. "That's some mission they've got there," he eventually uttered quietly. "Five days to convince a whole nation and ascend the throne?" He chuckled to himself. "I don't think anyone's ever taken this path before, have they?"

"Just let him be - let him go down the untrodden path and beat one out for the people behind him," Iruka shrugged. "Naruto's good at things like that."

Kakashi smiled.

"I have no doubt."

—————————————————————

A fist struck the sun.

"YAHOO!" Naruto screeched into the midday sun, panting slightly, scratched and bruised in several spots around his arms and face, but otherwise healthy and - more importantly - victorious. Scattered about his feet, sprawled and sprained, were the unconscious bodies of the bandits he had been facing, twitching and spasming with great pain. The fight aside, Naruto's shout alone attracted the attention of the passersby, who gathered in a huge semi-arc to observe what was going on. Some had even started to cheer and wolf-whistle, much to Naruto's pleasure. "Thank you!" He bowed down to the audience, who applauded obligingly. "Thank you for your support, good citi--WARGHGMMMR!"

"Naruto. You are so. Dead." Sasuke whispered harshly into Naruto's ear, after having clamped a hand down over the boisterous blond's mouth. Naruto struggled and mumbled against Sasuke, to no avail. The Uchiha glanced around and about, noticing that a few guards were running towards the crowd, shouting questions to try to find out what was going on. "Dammit!" Sasuke cursed under his breath. He let Naruto go momentarily so he could retract his steps to retrieve their belongings and his sword.

Sensing this as an opportunity, Naruto made huge gagging noises, when his mouth was released. He then grinned and saluted the crowd in a sloppy imitation of what he always saw Kakashi and the constables doing. "Thank you all!" He announced, and the crowd cheered. "I'll see you agai--!" He had no chance to say anymore to the adoring masses, for Sasuke had grabbed him by scuff of his shirt and the both of them vanished from sight within the blink of an eye.

Leaving many casualties, and a confused crowd behind.

"What's going on, hey!" The capital guards finally reached the crowd, and immediately set about to finding out what had just happened. The crowd simply murmured, for they were not sure what had happened either. Slowly, the people dissipated from the scene, and the guards began to notice the wounded bandits on the ground. Their attention properly divided, they no longer questioned witnesses to find out the going-ons, being now more interested in apprehending the familiar-faced bandits.

Up on the topmost branch of the roadside tree, Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. He shot a sidelong glare to Naruto, whom he had gagged and subsequently silenced with a huge meat bun. The blond was currently wolfing down the bun happily, staying thankfully silent. "Naruto, can you stop being such an attention-seeker!" Sasuke managed to hiss despite gritted teeth. "Those guards almost saw us!"

Naruto glared back at his companion. He chewed, and swallowed all of the bun that was in his mouth, then let out a sigh of satisfaction. Then he pointed rudely at Sasuke. "Shut up, man! You're worst than Iruka-sensei on his bad days!" He shook his head. "I can handle the situation, dammit. I know what I'm doing, sheesh!"

"Did you have to use the Sword of Jewels to blast each of the bandit to their knees!" Sasuke fought back, not eager to lose this verbal war with Naruto. "You could've just knocked them out quietly, and no one would have noticed! But no, you had to go around summoning the power of the Sword - which you /don't/ even know how to control /completely/ - on everyone you see!" He boxed the blond in one cheek lightly. "If that's not being a show-off, tell me what is!"

Naruto allowed himself to be boxed, slightly miffed by the sheer fact that it was probably really his fault that they were now sitting in a tree instead of sauntering down the main road, thinking of grand ways to enter into the capital city without being seen. "Okay, okay, I get it, I get it!" Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and looked away spitefully. "But look on the bright side, why don't you!" He soon regained his enthusiasm, and leaned forward, wagging a playful finger in front of Sasuke. "At least we're completely hidden from sight now! This is as good a hideout as any!" He beamed.

Sasuke glanced downwards, noticing that yes, they were rather high up in the tree and that yes, the guards were completely oblivious to the fact that there were two people hidden in the foliage above them. He let out a soft sigh, deciding that he would agree with Naruto - for now. "That doesn't solve the problem of how we're going to get to the capital now, though," he grumbled, looking around for a path to the city. To his surprise, he found Naruto doing the same. "What's wrong?" He frowned. "Do you sense someone coming?" He quickly questioned, hand on the hilt of his weapon.

Naruto turned sharply to glance at Sasuke, his eyes shrouded with sombriety. In the instance thereafter, however, he broke into a wide, cheshire grin. "Nah!" He announced, a hand on the back of his head. "I was thinking this place looked kinda familiar... and what do you know - it IS familiar because I've been here before! Ha ha!"

While Naruto continued to laugh, Sasuke's grip around his weapon loosened. He allowed his jaw to slack first, but had to tighten it quickly back, in case he snapped and kicked Naruto off the tree. Not a good idea, considering the situation they were currently in. He wiped the cold sweat he had unwittingly gathered near his brow, and sighed again. "Well, good for you," he finally managed to say, his voice taut. He glanced out, over a tree branch. "We'll follow the branches of the foliage for now and find a way to land back on ground without being seen. Then we...!" He stopped abruptly when Naruto gripped his wrist and hoisted him off on his merry way. After at first tripping over a random tree trunk, he managed to regain his balance. "Naruto! What do you think you're doing!"

"Finding a way into the capital without being seen, that's what I'm doing!" Naruto grinned widely at Sasuke. Sasuke was properly stunned at Naruto's overconfidence. He then threw a glance behind his shoulders.

"You idiot, the capital's back /that/ way!" The Uchiha was not sure how long it would be before the throbbing blood vessel on his head burst open. He tried to struggle free from Naruto's grip, but was surprised to find that the blond was deceptfully stronger than he thought.

"Don't be silly," Naruto grinned again, toothily. He then turned to look in front of him, all the while leaping from tree to tree in a blur of speed and agility. "Trust me. I know of a much faster way into that stuffy, suffocating city."  
****

—————————————————————  
20/4/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Thirteen

It had been a long time since Sasuke's brow twitched so much in one day.

"Naruto," he said, quietly. It was hard not to speak quietly, after all, when every word spoke was amplified ten times and bounced around the enclosed area Naruto and Sasuke were in with happy echoes. "...didn't you say you knew of a faster way into that 'stuffy and suffocating city'?"

"'Course I do!" Naruto boldly spoke up, sending his voice right across the darkened tunnel, as if he did not care who would hear him. If there was anybody to hear him. Sasuke winced.

"Through an equally stuffy and suffocating underground..." Sasuke paused to gather his thoughts, "...sewage waste tunnel?"

"Yup!" Naruto cheerily replied.

Sasuke sighed.

"Stop sighing like a stupid old man and just follow along, Sasuke!" Naruto wrinkled his nose at his companion. "And you don't have to whisper, you know. Nobody knows about this sewer system anyway." He prodded at a slimey wall, removing some of the moss and algae gathered there.

Sasuke took the time Naruto was engaged to scrutinise the surroundings much more carefully since their entry into it. All the way they had walked, he had yet to see an exit or entrance anywhere, save the one they had entered through. And that one, if Naruto had not been leading the way, Sasuke was not sure if even he could have found it. Something that was buried beneath so much undergrowth and debris in the middle of a thick jungle was bound to be missed by even the most subtle of warriors, surely!

"I'll admit this tunnel is kind of desolated," Sasuke eventually said. By this time, Naruto had removed enough moss and algae off the wall face to reveal a hidden fork in the tunnel. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be more careful. And that doesn't mean that I believe it can lead us into the capital city either!"

"Yes, my naggy uncle, I hear you loud and clear," Naruto mumbled, still concentrating on removing the fungi on the wall. "Ahah!" He squealed suddenly, when he found what he had been trying to find. With a quick flip of his fingers, the crossbars which was hindering the duo's way into the fork in the tunnel grinded into the ground with several loud squeaks of protest. As such, the fungi clinging onto them also fell to the ground, dead and disturbed.

"Behold!" Naruto turned around and held his hand out, gesturing into the darkness beyond the entrance just opened. "Our ticket into the grand capital of Fire!"

Sasuke had to try hard not to stare. "What?" He eventually blurted.

"Don't just stand there, come on in!" Naruto had already crossed over the threshold of the new opening. For a while, they simply exchanged glances, each questioning the other's motives. Naruto gave a strangled cry to break the sordid silence. "Come on!" He pointed further into the darkness. "Don't just stand there and /stare/ at me! Do you want to go back to that Palace place or not?"

Mentioning the palace seemed to work like a charm against the hesitant Sasuke. He perked up immediately, and his thinking time shrank to the span of a single second. "Okay," he grounded out evenly. Stepping across into the bedarkened tunnel as well, he looked sternly at Naruto, as if threatening him should anything happen. "Go ahead and lead the way."

Naruto simply shot him an evil looking grin. "Before that," the blond declared, while making a series of strange hand seals. Without announcing the name of the jutsu he was doing, he finished the seals, and looked expectantly at the hole he had created by brushing off moss and algae.

Slowly, but surely, moss and algae began to grow back across the opening. The bars which Naruto had flipped a switch to lower made another creaking sound - this time returning to their defensive positions. In another few seconds of staring, Sasuke realised that the entrance they had just came in through was no longer visible in the pitch darkness.

"Okay," Naruto's voice came from somewhere to Sasuke's right. There was a snap of something. Then Sasuke found himself enclosed in a bubble of warm, orange glow. "Good thing I remembered to bring some lights, huh?" Naruto beamed at him, the flickering fire torch in his hand casting strange shadows on the lighted walls behind the duo. "We'll just have to follow this tunnel all the way to the end. There's another secret exit somewhere there that opens up to the capital city." He was already sauntering further into the secret tunnel. "No problem! We'll get there in another half an hour or so of walking. I think."

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, but whatever was behind them was now enshrouded by the impenetrable darkness. He looked ahead, where Naruto was, leading the way through the winding tunnels. He had many questions to ask, but as they walked; as the silence stretched, Sasuke found himself growing increasingly dumbfounded in the presence of his tentative friend and comrade.

How long would it be before they remained on equal standing?

The dull stamping of their feet on the soft soil were to be the only thing that would break the monotony of silence throughout their journey to the proverbial end of the tunnel.

—————————————————————

"See," Naruto had lowered his voice to a whisper by the time they reached a dead end. He pointed upwards, where a tiny shaft of light filtered through a thin opening on the tunnel ceiling. "There's the exit. Once we break through that ceiling, we'll be in the capital." He grinned. "I told you this way's faster, didn't I?"

Sasuke snorted. He glanced upwards and narrowed his eyes. "I can take it down with a single Katon," he remarked, and was already halfway through to forming the necessary seals, when Naruto pounced on him and sent him rolling across the dirt with a maligned yelp. Once the dust settled, Sasuke pulled his face out of the ground. "Naruto!" He hissed. "What did you-"

"Shh!" To Sasuke's surprise, Naruto instructed for silence. The blond also proceeded to extinguish their only source of light - the fire torch in his hand. Thereafter, the tunnel was plunged into silence and darkness.

Confused, Sasuke asked, quietly, "What's going on?"

From somewhere in the darkness, Naruto responded, "This particular exit leads to the middle of the public square of the capital city."

A pause.

"What!" Sasuke nearly screeched. "And you brought us here!"

"Ssshhh!" Naruto hushed again. "It's the only place in this entire sewer system that can be broken out through from inside!"

Sasuke had not needed to be told twice. He became perfectly silent and still. Still, he shot Naruto a lethal, warning glare, which informed the blond that there would be hell to pay later, when they were out of this pinch. He stood, found a comfortable corner at the dead end of the tunnel and settled himself snugly into the crook. A noise to his left told him that Naruto likely did the same.

After that, the entire underground descended into a sombre silence. The long silence was not broken until Naruto shifted slightly, and sighed loudly, causing his voice to rebound down the tunnel in eerie echoes.

Sasuke shot Naruto a warning glare, having gotten used to the dark by now. His mind had been wandering, so he was no longer keeping track of how much time had passed. The noise and light filtering in from the narrow opening above them had slowly died down and darkened. Peak marketing hour must have been over while he was thinking. It was going to be night soon. "Didn't you say we should be quiet?" Sasuke demanded finally, when he could stand the silence without his thoughts no longer. "Why the sudden change of mind?"

Naruto said nothing for a while. "As long as we're not screaming our lungs out, sighing a bit wouldn't get us into more trouble than we already are!" He eventually retorted.

"Gee, thanks for telling me that only /now, genius," Sasuke's sarcastic remark came before he could stop himself.

Naruto growled once in response, but did nothing else, and this made Sasuke very uncomfortable in just under ten seconds. "Hey," the Uchiha quipped, when Naruto still did not resist his efforts to pick a verbal fight with him. "Naruto...?" His voice became slightly unsure. Was Naruto perhaps hurt anywhere?

"...what are we going to do?" Naruto's question was so soft, Sasuke could but catch the last words of the sentence he uttered.

"What are we going to do, what?" Sasuke repeated, feeling slightly dumb. If Naruto caught on to his tone of insecurity, he did nothing to make fun of it.

"I said," Naruto repeated, slightly louder, although only so that his entire sentence would be audible, "...when we do get into the capital, what are we going to do?" He picked up a pebble and tossed it, letting it hit the wall facing him and slide down back to the ground. "There are going to be, like, one million and one guards patrolling that palace place, right? How are we going to get in there without being seen?"

Sasuke gaped. After opening his mouth a couple of times like a fish out of water in an attempt to answer the question, he blurted, "You? Uzumaki Naruto? Making /plans/ for your next step?" He blinked incredulously. "Maybe you /will/ ascend the throne smoothly after all."

Naruto's growl was louder this time. He jumped onto his feet and pointed angrily at Sasuke. "Dammit, hell yes, I /will/ ascend the throne smoothly, just to break that bloody ego of yours! You'll see if I don't get you for always stepping on my toes just yet you scumbag, you-!"

Above them, a muffled, disjointed voice suddenly cut Naruto short. "Shikamaru," it was the voice of a young lad. Two sets of footsteps shuffled to a stop directly above the hiding duo. "...did you just say something?"

Someone yawned. Loudly. "Sorry, Chouji... I was probably sleeptalking again," the other lad, Shikamaru, grated out unhappily. He yawned again. "I hate night shifts."

Chouji laughed. "Want some of my chips to wake you up?" He offered. The rustling of something plastic could be heard.

"Oh/please!" Shikamaru managed to ground out in semi-disgust. "Keep your oily snacks for after the patrol, huh?" The footsteps resumed walking, and slowly began to fade away. The originally muffled voices of the duo slowly became nothing more than a mere whisper in the wind.

As the sounds of the patrol guards ebbed away, Sasuke relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like they didn't notice us--"

"Oh yes..." Naruto, however, was not listening - lost in his own world of revelation. "Oh yes! I see a chance for me to..." he glanced upwards, at the spot which he had told Sasuke was the only place that could be opened from the inside. Sasuke had a bad feeling about this. "...break out of this dampy, darky place and announce my arrival!"

"..." For a while after Naruto's dramatic declaration, Sasuke did not know if he should laugh or cry. While he was still deciding, Naruto made a Chakra-molding hand seal, and Sasuke could discern that the blond now gathered some Chakra onto the soles of his feet. "Naruto, wait--!" He cried out in an attempt to stop the unstoppable blond - to no avail, of course. "Tch!" He muttered under his breath, quickly forming the same hand seals. He followed Naruto up the tunnel wall, but was not fast enough to pull him back to safety zone.

Naruto burst out of the underground with much fanfare and flying dirt. "Announcing the arrival of the great Uzumaki Naruto!" He cheered.

His loud actions, of course, did not go unnoticed. Although the square was generally empty, the two patrolling guards were not yet far enough out of sight and sound. Sasuke resisted his initial urge to bap his forehead in disbelief. Especially when the two guards froze in the middle of walking away, and turned around to stare in wide-eyed surprise at the boisterous blond. One of them quickly held a hand over his sword hilt, while the other produced a whistle out from his inner pockets and blew into it.

The shrill sound of alarm rose and rang loudly across the city. Sasuke grit his teeth in slight frustration. Naruto remained unmoving. "Naruto!" Sasuke whispered harshly to his companion. "Naruto, there's no one else but the two guards in the square at the moment! Let's go before they catch up with us!" He had already turned his back towards the guards and was ready to bolt anytime.

But Naruto continued to smile into the misty foreground, unconcerned. He remained that way, despite Sasuke's frantic pleading in the background, until the two guards were in their immediate vicinity.

"Who goes there!" A firm, authorative voice called out. A plump looking constable dressed in official uniform stepped through the fog, his face fierce. A hand of his was on the sheath of his sword, the other hovering menacingly over the hilt. His companion stepped into view as well, although this one was lax and the only form of security he held against Naruto and Sasuke was the folding of his arms across his chest.

Cursing for what must have been the hundredth time under his breath, Sasuke moved immediately. In the blink of an eye, he was by Naruto's side, a hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to strike anyone who would prove to be of harm. The Sharingan bled into his eyes, and he assessed the situation quickly and accurately. The two guards were stronger than the average constables, but with his years of battle experience to back him up along with what Naruto could pull off with the Sword of Jewels, they were nothing Naruto and himself could not handle with difficulty.

"You..." The thinner of the two constables spoke up. Sasuke quickly recognised his voice to be the one who was called 'Shikamaru', which would make the other 'Chouji'. Shikamaru continued, "...you're Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto grinned at the two constables, who frowned hard and long at him. Sasuke let his glance travel to and fro, between his blond friend and the two angry-looking patrol guards. Apparently, Naruto had a history with them. So deep an impression the boy had left on the duo that they had yet to forget his name.

Now Sasuke could only hope, as the two constables started shuffling menacingly closer to them, that whatever Naruto had done to the duo had been nothing worthy of a terrible payback.  
****

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8/5/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Fourteen

  
"Naruto...!" Chouji was the first to come forward, standing right in front of the grinning Naruto, looming before him. His hand grabbed the hilt of his sword momentarily, and Sasuke panicked. The Uchiha was about to move, when he saw Chouji releasing his sword and curling his knuckles into a fist instead.

A fist, Sasuke knew, was nothing Naruto could not handle. The fact that Naruto was simply standing and showed no signs that he would resist Chouji's punch, however, was worrying. "What are you doing, Naruto!" Sasuke shouted at the blond. "Get away from--!"

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, YOU LITTLE JERK-WAD!" Chouji broke into a wide grin rivaling Naruto's, and punched the boy playfully on his shoulder. Sasuke later wondered how low his jaw dropped at that sudden sight. "You said you'd help me get some snacks from outside and come back in a month or two, but you never did!" Chouji roared and bared teeth. His hand went back to the hilt of his sword, but Sasuke found that he was terribly disinterested in protecting Naruto in this case for some reason. Out the sword came and down it slashed. Naruto barely managed to duck to a side.

"Not my fault!" The blond immediately retorted. He drew his own sword out and slashed at Chouji without menace, still grinning madly. "Iruka-sensei refused to let me out of sight for more than an hour at a go!"

"That's the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard you make!" Chouji was unimpressed. "The Uzumaki Naruto I knew could've wormed his way out of any situation, whether or not he liked it!" Swing, slash!

"I never knew you thought so highly of me!" Naruto laughed. And slashed right back. The game of hacking and slashing continued on, uninterrupted for quite a while. Sasuke, despite having been trained to be overprotective, was unable to react. He could only watch on with muted disbelief as the duo merrily marked what looked like a reunion of old friends by trying to cut each other down. He only tensed slightly when he could feel the other guard stepping into his immediate vicinity. He waited, knowing Shikamaru was about to speak.

"Don't break your head thinking about it," Shikamaru shrugged, sighing. "It's their strange way of saying hi."

Sasuke did not yet respond to that. It was obvious enough that these constables would not harm Naruto for now. But once they learned of Naruto's, and subsequently Sasuke's real identities, it would be difficult to discern if they would continue to be on their sides. For now, the fog and lack of lighting was probably making it hard for the constables to recognise who Sasuke was, thus the lack of reaction. So he waited. To find an opening so that he could grab Naruto and run away without the two guards ever noticing anything had happened.

Now if only Shikamaru would stop trying to distract him with his constant conversation starters.

"You must be pretty special, huh?" Shikamaru was saying. Naruto and Chouji continued trying to tear each other's throats out. "Never seen him let a client stay conscious when bringing him in."

There was a slight pause, in which Sasuke frowned slightly at Shikamaru. The question was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. "Client...?"

He could feel Shikamaru's lazy scrutiny from through the thinning mist. "...guess you're not one of them," the constable finally said. "Who are you?"

There was something compelling in Shikamaru's tone of voice. So compelling that Sasuke felt almost obliged to announce his name and status. Before he could do anything, however, Naruto's hoot of joy overwhelmed the square. Both Sasuke and Shikamaru turned in the direction of the shout, just as the last vestiges of the night mist dissipated.

Sprawled out stomach first on the ground, was Chouji's semi-battered body, complete with flesh buns and band aids. His eyes were crossed and his tongue hung out in mock death. Naruto stood above him, waving the Sword of Jewels in the air proudly. "I won!" He was screaming into the air. "Did you see that, Sasuke! I got him good, and I didn't even have to blast him with the Sword! Heheh!"

"Sasuke..." Shikamaru repeated to himself. Beside him, Sasuke felt his heart racing with panic. "...Uchiha Sasuke!" The constable's voice grew tensed with incredulity.

Sasuke did not need to be warned twice. He turned around, and looked at Shikamaru in the eye with the Sharingan, which he had yet to deactivate. Already stunned by the colour of blood in Sasuke's eyes, Shikamaru fell quickly to the Genjutsu Sasuke cast on him. With Chouji defeated and Shikamaru successfully distracted, the frantic Uchiha next ran swiftly up to Naruto, who was still in his triumphant pose. Saving all his scoldings for later, Sasuke grabbed Naruto by a hand and dragged him away, vanishing into the misty darkness faster than Naruto could yelp in protest.

—————————————————————

It was not until Sasuke felt they were safely out of sight, did he finally slow down and let Naruto's hand go.

"Man, what's the big rush, Sasuke?" Naruto immediately asked, sounding slightly offended. "I didn't even get to say a proper 'hi'!"

Sasuke's immediate response was to bonk him on the head. "Idiot." He muttered callously. A vein throbbed on Naruto's forehead.

"Who're you calling an idiot!" He roared, and Sasuke looked away, not wishing to respond to that. Their aimless running had brought them to a dark side alley, which was cramped and littered with unwanted trash. Naruto, however, continued to run off with his mouth, scolding and complaining about Sasuke's attitude and manners - or lack thereof. Sasuke merely tried to scrutinise their new environment carefully. Eventually, the drone of Naruto's whining became too much for even the seasoned Uchiha to bear. He kicked Naruto in his shins, hard.

"Will you just shut up for a moment?" Sasuke warned in a harsh whisper. "Do you want the entire platoon of capital patrol guards to be on our tail!"

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but it was as if his thoughts died upon his lips. He closed his mouth and looked earnestly at Sasuke, seemingly thinking about something. "Shikamaru and Chouji aren't any normal constables, if that's what you're concerned about," he eventually muttered, voice dulled. "They're my friends."

In turn, Sasuke stared questioningly at the suddenly sombre Naruto. "I figured," he shrugged. "You were calling them by name." He further stated. Then, he narrowed his eyes. "This brings us to an interesting point." He turned around to face the bemused Naruto fully.

"How did you get to know those two guards?" Sasuke quipped. "That Shikamaru fellow thought I was one of your 'clients' who you apparently smuggle regularly, secretly into the capital," Sasuke noticed from the corner of his eyes that Naruto flinched. "...are you running an illegal ring with those two guards?" He asked pointedly, mincing nothing. "How long have you been smuggling people into the capital? And why are you doing it?" The last question was quieter and, if Naruto had not known any better, would have also thought it sounded concerned.

Shrugging that idea off, the pompous blond did not take two seconds to ponder his answer. "HAH!" He snorted loudly, folding his arms across his chest. "What makes you so /sure/ that I'm running some underground ring anyway?" He pointed at his friend. "Listen! I /do/ bring people in and out of the capital via my one and only secret tunnel, but only people I like, and people I know are legally recognised and harmless! Like scholars... and job-seekers, and stuff." He harrumphed loudly. "You're the first person I've ever brought through that tunnel without asking for your legal pass! If you need to be suspicious of someone, I suggest you start with yourself!"

Sasuke paused to think. "...that's still illegal," he pointed out. "Why couldn't those scholars or job-seekers go through the main gates, like everybody else does? It's not that hard. They just have to walk through it. Unlike me. I'm guessing none of them were criminals with their names smacked on the Top Ten Wanted list, that is."

"Probably not," Naruto shrugged. He glanced out, over Sasuke's shoulder, out through the thin entrance of the side alley, where in the distance, loomed the tall, foreboding city gates. "But you see those gates?" The blond asked, quietly. Sasuke turned around to gaze upon what Naruto was looking at. "The only times anyone is allowed in or out of this capital is when the sun is up. Anyone who tries to sneak in without a permit will be caught by the border guards. This place used to be a free area with flourishing art and trade, according to Iruka-sensei, but that was in some long, forgotten past that /I/ certainly knew nothing of," the boy snorted.

"The guards here now only let people who can blind their eyes with money in!" Naruto continued without letup. "Permits can only be bought with a price and nothing less nowadays. No talent, no skill, no craft at all is allowed in the capital," he wrinkled his nose, as if the sheer thought repelled him. "That's why I did it." The boy concluded. "That's why I brought people into the capital without going through the main gates. I know it's wrong to overstep the law just like that," he shrugged, and Sasuke finally turned around from staring at the faraway gates to staring at the blond. "But it would have been more wrong if I hadn't done it at all."

The Uchiha stared at Naruto for a little while more, then lowered his gaze to the darkened, sandy ground. "...the capital's become like this...?" He whispered, more to himself than to anyone else. Naruto shrugged his shoulders, slinking into a crouch against the dirtied alley walls. He continued his unfinished story from just now.

"Shikamaru and Chouji were the first guards I stumbled upon when I first found the unused sewage tunnel. I went through the thing and appeared in the middle of the square like we did. But it was nighttime when I did, so there was nobody around but the two of them." He laughed at what appeared to be a rather amusing remembrance.

"Our first meeting was so funny! It involved much squealing and a lot of fireworks," Naruto grinned, but Sasuke shuddered. "Shikamaru was very perceptive. He could tell that I wasn't a bad guy after I thrashed Chouji and victory posed over his inanimate body! He was like, yo, yeah, I believe you're not a bad guy so please live up to your name and stop pointing your sword at Chouji pretty please, and I was like, sure, if you buy me a drink!" He grinned wider.

At this point of time, Sasuke resisted the urge to stomp the living daylights out of the blond for the highly offending account he had just rendered up, about his dangerous meeting with the patrol guards who could have locked him into jail and cast the key into the ocean had anything gone wrong. "So that's how you became fast friends, and that's how they agreed to help you out with your insipid plans of bringing unauthorised people into the capital?"

Naruto blinked. Then he looked up at the sky. After a while, his blank, thoughtful face transformed into another one of his smiles. "More or less!"

Sasuke's palm was already curled up in a tight fist. But he fought against his desire to pummel someone, changing it into a desire to pummel something instead. His fist eventually found the wall. He sighed. "There's something else I need to know," Sasuke said, tersely, through thinned lips. "The fact that you found the secret tunnel aside..." His expressions grew serious, "...how did you know how to remove all the algae and moss from it... and open the gates? And while we're on that... how did you know how to put the algae back immediately, without needing to wait for it to grow...?"

Naruto stared openly at him, his eyes wide and innocent. "Huh?" His voice was innocent too. "You didn't see the hand seals embossed on the wall beside it?"

A pause. "Hand seals?"

"Yeah, hand seals!" The blond repeated cheerfully. "But every time I go, the hand seals on the wall are different, so there's no way I can depend on just memory to open and close that tunnel door," he slumped against his knee again, looking up at the skies. "That was a strange Jutsu, wasn't it?" He asked, but did not look at Sasuke in the eye. "Making plants wither and grow like that! Too bad it never worked on the crop Iruka-sensei grew in the backyard!" He snickered.

"You've tried it out on other things before?" Sasuke sounded impressed that Naruto had even thought of the idea. The tone, however, was lost on the self-absorbed blond.

"I did!" He declared, proudly. "Though I ended up killing more plants than growing them speedily, for some strange reason!"

In the silence that next occurred, Sasuke's thoughts raced backwards into the past and forward into the future. He remembered that the only Jutsu he had learnt from the books and analects that were vaguely plant-growth related had been the signature Jutsu of the First. The First had not passed on the Jutsu to anyone else, it was said, for he died before he could record its use and function down. It was also said, however, that only possessors of royal blood would be able to utilise the Jutsu anyway, so it was not a major loss to the culture of the land. He sighed, forcing his thoughts to dissipate into nothingness. Naruto glanced up at him when he did, questioningly.

Leaning halfway against the wall, Sasuke closed his eyes and said, "Listen, Naruto. Rules are there for a reason. No matter how justified you think you are to go against it, nothing good will ever come out of your rebellion - whether for those you're trying to help, or for yourself. So for your sake... and for the sake of those around you, I'm going to have to ask you to stop trying to go against everything the rules say," he narrowed his eyes at his friend. "We won't survive a day in the capital with you trying to flout all the rules and grab all the attention in the world!" Sasuke grumbled loudly, turning his head away in exasperation at the rebellious glint that was already visible in Naruto's eye. "You need to grow up, Naruto!"

"I /am/ grown up!" The blond sprang up from his crouched position and stormed towards Sasuke. "I /know/ what I'm doing! I'm not some guy who can sit around and do /nothing/ when I know that I /can/ do something about stuff, okay!" He jabbed a finger against the taller boy's chest. "What do you /suggest/ I do, if I'm not even allowed to challenge those stupid, corrupt rules that everybody knows is wrong!" He growled. "If the rules say you have to kill a person every day, would you do it? Would you? Huh?"

"Of course I will," Sasuke's instant reply with his face as blank as a sheet of white paper frightened Naruto. "If you lay the rule down for me to," the Uchiha tilted his head slightly to look at Naruto. "My liege is my law. You are my liege," a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "But you won't do that." The smile quirked into a knowing smirk. "You're so pathetic you couldn't even hurt a fly, much less a human."

Naruto, listening quietly up until Sasuke's final sentence, bristled. "Oh, I can hurt humans all right..." He growled under his breath, rolling up his sleeves and clenching his fists. "...specifically, I can hurt you!" He threw a swift punch in Sasuke's direction, along with a war cry.

But with a brisk flip, Sasuke slapped Naruto's incoming punch away. "Have you forgotten what we're here for already?" His tone now reverted to scolding. "Have you forgotten who you are?" Sasuke shook his head in disbelief. "You shouldn't go against the rules, Naruto, because you /are/ the rule in this land." Naruto drew his fist back, blinking in stunned silence at the sudden revelation. "I know you'll be a good King," Sasuke's words were soft yet earnest, "Don't disappoint me by getting caught /now/ with your crazy antics."

For a short while, the duo simply stared, each trying to assess the other's reaction. It was, naturally, Naruto who broke the silence. "Sasuke... I..." he began, but was stopped short when his senses informed him to a couple of unwanted presences. Sasuke had already noticed as well, gesturing at Naruto to quickly join him behind the shadows of the alley.

As the two boys ducked behind their hideout, the new presences drew closer - and so did their voices. "Naruto!" One went. And the other echoed. Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other knowingly. It was Shikamaru and Chouji. "Naruto," as if on cue, Shikamaru's lazy drawl drifted into their ears. "Naruto, if you can hear me, you know what to do." The instruction was plain and simple, yet quiet and unobtrusive. It would not do for him to wake up the entire lane of residents, after all.

Although initially taken aback, Naruto now glanced inquiringly at Sasuke. Sasuke frowned, predictably, and shook his head. 'We can't be sure what they're up to,' Sasuke mouthed noiselessly. Naruto looked away with an unsatisfied quirk in his lips. His bright, inquisitive eyes now turned towards the single entrance and exit of the alley, shining with hesitation. A shadow sauntered into the alley, and the silouette of Shikamaru became visible through the opening. That moment of sight soon passed, however, and Shikamaru went on to continue searching elsewhere.

Sasuke tried to grab Naruto's hand before the blond could shoot out and give chase to the by now disappearing guard. He was a fraction of a second too late, only managing to glance at the corner of the fabric of Naruto's sleeve. By the time Sasuke realised the need to stand and follow Naruto, the blond was already halfway out of the dark alley.

Perhaps drawn back by the shuffling and stomping noises Naruto's feet were making against the ground, Shikamaru backtracked and peered into the alley again. By this time, Naruto was so near the entrance that Shikamaru must have seen him already. Sasuke stopped in mid-pursuit, finding a shadow nearby to hide. He edged slowly towards the duo, inconspicuously, hand over the hilt of his sword.

If anyone so much as tried to harm Naruto, he would have to get past a very angry Uchiha first.  
****

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8/5/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Fifteen

Neither Naruto nor Shikamaru appeared to have noticed the well-hidden Sasuke. After bounding up energetically towards the alleyway entrance, Naruto broke into a wide grin at the waiting Shikamaru. "Shikamaru!" He greeted in a loud voice, and Shikamaru winced. Chouji, who had gone up ahead to peek at the alleys further down now turned back and slowly walked towards where Shikamaru was. "Sorry, was in a bit of a rush just now, so didn't really get to talk to ya!"

"Quiet, Naruto!" Shikamaru shook his head from side to side. He shoved Naruto back into the alley and gestured to inform Chouji of their current location. "Do you want the other guards to hear you?"

Naruto clasped both hands over his mouth in an exaggerated display of regret. In no time, however, he was back to grinning from ear to ear. "So any updates about the situation in the capital for me?" He asked, in a quieter voice.

By this time, Chouji had found the alley and was just stepping in. "It's all good," Shikamaru was still the one to give a reply. He shrugged slightly, "Everybody you brought in's leading useful, hard-working lives in the capital, so nobody's bothered to give them any trouble as of yet. Oh!" Shikamaru blurted, as if just remembering something. "Sakura asked me to tell you to go see her the next time you come in. She says she owes you something and needs to return it to you."

"She does?" Naruto blinked. Then beamed. "Not that I remember what, but sure!" His voice was way too happy. "I'd love to meet Sakura-chan again! I know! She must have, like, fallen in love with me or something," he struck a pseudo knight in shining armour pose. "Well then, I mustn't keep her waiting too long. Where can I find her?"

"She runs a traveller's tavern down at Seventh Street," this time, it was Chouji who spoke up. He had a pack of opened potato chips in one hand, but he was not eating from it. "And they've got the best roasted pork noodles there!" The plump boy grinned. "Shikamaru and I always go there for lunch!"

"Wow!" Naruto gasped, genuinely impressed.

"She's really come a long way," Shikamaru agreed, giving Naruto a friendly pat on the shoulder. The pat suddenly morphed into a noogie, and before Naruto could protest, Shikamaru had him by the elbow. "Naruto!" Shikamaru whispered as quietly as he could to the boy, whose head was now side by side with his. "I don't want to be interfering with your affairs or anything, but why the hell are you running around the capital with the most wanted man in the entire land!"

"Huh?" Naruto was confused. For a while. "Oh, you mean Sasuke?" He laughed. "Why are you so worried about him? He's harmless. He won't do anything. Trust me."

Momentarily stunned at how lightly Naruto was treating this entire matter, Shikamaru's grip on Naruto's neck loosened, and the blond shook himself free. Throwing his head back into the darkness, Naruto called out, "Hey, Sasuke! Stop hiding and come on out! Got some friends I want you to meet!"

It took quite a while before Sasuke made his presence known from the darkness. Shikamaru and Chouji had to hide their surprise, for they had not sensed his presence at all until now. Stepping forward where there was slightly more light, Sasuke came into full view, and his face was stoic. He stopped just behind Naruto, his narrowed eyes never once leaving the two wide-eyed patrol guards.

"This is Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto introduced happily, oblivious to the tension in the air. "And these are my guard friends, Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji!" He elbowed Sasuke in the ribs, causing the stern look on his face to ease when the Uchiha had to suppress the cough that threatened to burst through his lungs from that attack. "Don't worry, we're all harmless people." Naruto's reassurance was anything but reassuring. "But we're in the capital for a top-secret mission and would really appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anybody else about our presence, yo?" Naruto pointed at the two guards, prompting them for a response.

"Are you nuts?" Shikamaru swat the finger away after blinking twice in evident confusion. "Don't forget that if you get into trouble/we'll/ get into trouble too!" He sighed, waving his hand patronisingly at Naruto and Sasuke. "Hurry up and get lost already. We still need to complete our patrol." He yawned. "If you need help, just head down to the usual guard post." Glancing one last time at Sasuke, who had not spoken a word to the constables at all, Shikamaru turned away and together with Chouji, went out of the alley, never throwing a single glance back. As if to indicate to any watchers that there was nothing in the alley worth the time and energy.

It was Sasuke who breathed a sigh of relief first, once Shikamaru and Chouji were completely out of earshot. "For someone dabbling with illegal immigration, you have some /dangerous/ friends."

"And you need to stop being so suspicious of everybody," Naruto retorted, folding his arms huffily. A chilly breeze started to howl through the alley they were in. Naruto poked his head out of the alley to the main road, peering left and right. "You feel anybody nearby, Sasuke?" He asked, when he was ready to move out.

"No," was the simple answer. Sasuke said nothing else.

"Okay then," Naruto grinned. "Let's go find Sakura-chan now!"

"Wait, stupid," Sasuke clamped a hand on Naruto's shoulder. Before Naruto could snap at him for calling him names again, he felt the Sword of Jewels being snatched away. "Before we go anywhere," Sasuke continued, unconcerned, "...we need to disguise the Sword." He had already taken a roll of bandage out from somewhere in his pack and was tilting the Sword from side to side, to see how best to hide it from common sight. "Unlike the outskirts, here in the capital, the Sword is well known and can be recognised by any commoner walking on the street just by its hilt alone." He slowly wrapped the bandages around the hilt and the sheath.

Naruto merely watched on, until he could no longer see the Sword, but the bandages which covered it. Tying a dead knot in the end of the strip, Sasuke stood and held the sword under the moonlight. Seemingly satisfied, he then held it out to Naruto.

"Huh..." Naruto took the Sword back hesitantly, obviously unsure if Sasuke was done with it or not, "...for someone who's left the capital for years, you sure seem to know a lot about what's going on inside!"

"I don't," Sasuke brushed by Naruto and stepped out into the open. "Unlike someone else, I just used my common sense."

"I see," Naruto said, before he could really think about it.

Then it struck him.

"HEY! Was that a /jibe/ at my intelligence you were making there!"

—————————————————————

When Sakura heard the first knock, she knew it was simply her imagination.

All her customers should know better than to return to her inn after the curfew hour, after all.

When the second knock came, she was not so much concerned as she was bothered.

Who could it be, at such an unearthly hour? Did the sign "MIDNIGHT TRAVELLERS NOT ADMITTED" she hung on the door outside not reveal everything about her stand on the matter? She mumbled something unintelligible and buried her head back into the pillow.

At the third and loudest bang on the door, Sakura sat suddenly upright in her bed, eyes dark and eyebags darker. Whoever was at the door would now die. She would rip them apart bone by bone, skin the bugger cell to cell, and cook their internal organs in their own blood, stirring their meat in pots and feeding it to themselves, using the leftover for meat bun fillings. And feed those to the sharks.

The banging grew louder and louder, when Sakura stepped into the main hall of the tavern. She lit a hand-lantern and looked all around in the darkness, trying to locate the source of the sound. It was not coming from the boarded up main doors, but from the backyard. Rolling up her sleeves, Sakura stormed towards the door in the backyard, her fangs sharpened and nails polished. Whoever was knocking on her door was knocking so hard, the wood was almost exploding in her face. She lifted the blockade that was acting as the door lock, and with a hand on each door frame, she pulled them inwards roughly.

The doors flew open. There was a yelp, a scuffle, and something orange and blond tumbled into a heap before Sakura's feet. This happened at about the same time Sakura thrust her lantern out through the opened doorway accusingly, letting it point at the perpetuator in the darkness.

"You!" Sakura shrieked, and the lantern lit up the area where a tall, dark figure was standing. "I'm running a business here! Don't you know that your crazy knocking's going to wake all my customers up! What if they decide to ask me for a refund tomorrow morning! Why I oughta give you a...!"

The pink-haired girl paused abruptly. The lantern had stopped swinging furiously from side to side by her angered thrust. It was now still enough to illuminate the dark figure fully, from face to torso. Thus, Sakura was stunned into silence at the sudden sight before her.

An equally stunned Sasuke stared back at her, blinking with surprise.

"..." After gaping a few more times, Sakura finally found her voice, "...I oughta... give you a... good..." She gulped, realising that she was blushing but not being able to do anything to stop it. How often did she get to be in the presence of such a hunk anyway! This must be love, hell yeah! "...a good room! Yeah!" She giggled, pulling her lantern back. "Co...come on in!" She gestured. "You need lodging? We have plenty of good rooms still available, ahaha...wah!"

Although Sakura had turned to want to lead Sasuke into the courtyards, she cleanly forgot that there was something blond and orange at her feet. Therefore it was to no one's surprise that she stubbed a toe into the bundle, which gave another yelp, and fell unceremoniously onto the ground, causing a little dust cloud to form.

After much coughing and complaining, the upturned soil particles soon dissipated. Sakura sighed, wondering what had gotten into her all of a sudden. She came out looking to chew someone's head off, but ended up falling clumsily all over her backyard. Glancing up, she saw Sasuke walking towards her. He stopped just in front of her, shook his head as if in exasperation, and held an outstretched hand out.

"Stupid," he mumbled, and Sakura's heart fluttered at that unique name of endearment. She was about to stretch her own hand out to accept Sasuke's offer, when his next words froze her in mid-action. "...come on, Naruto, I'll help you up."

"Yeah, thanks," Naruto mumbled from his flattened position on the ground. He pushed himself off the dirt and allowed Sasuke to help him out. Sakura sighed dramatically. This tall, dark stranger was so good to his friends. Now she was more in love with him than ever.

"Are you all right, miss?" Sakura was jolted out of her thoughts when Sasuke next held a hand out to her. Naruto was now on his two feet, patting the dusty part of his pants to get the dirt that had clung there away. Sakura felt her face growing hot again, and without taking Sasuke's hand, she clambered to her feet by herself. She took a deep breath to compose herself. Still not too sure about the situation, she decided to target the only familiar face in the area currently.

"NA... RU... TO!" The girl had Naruto by his collar before Sasuke could even blink. "Oh, I remember your face better than I can remember my mother's!" She roared, shaking the boy. "How dare you show your face again after what you've done to me, huh!" The shaking did not cease. "Excellent timing! I still need to pay you back for that last punch you gave me upside the head! The nerve of--"

"Excuse me but," Sasuke spoke out, feeling it was about time he interrupted. It would be terrible if the crown prince died from too much shaking, after all. When Sakura glanced questioningly at him, he pointed at the tavern building in the background. "...I think you're making quite a scene here. Your guests are all watching you."

True to Sasuke's words, when Sakura glanced backwards over her shoulders, she could see a few tired but curious guests peeking inquisitively out of the windows of their rented rooms. As it was rather dark out in the courtyards, it was possible that none of them could really see anything, although they were indeed awakened by the riot Sakura was making. Quickly, Sakura extinguished the light in her lantern, plunging the garden into total darkness. She gestured for Sasuke to follow, then grabbed Naruto by the scuff of his neck and dragged him along.

Quietly, the trio disappeared into the tavern building.

The curious guests soon dismissed the noises as a couple of squabbling cats, and went back to sleep.

—————————————————————

Outside the walls of the tavern, something moved from the darkness it was previously obscured in. It stepped out into the open, where the moonlight carefully illuminated it.

'It' was a him. Whose long hair and lean figure was unmistakable to all who was familiar with the Palace protocol.

Uchiha Itachi turned; only briefly, to stare once at the doors of the tavern backyard. The fiery red of his eyes burned a hole through the darkness of the night. After that one look, he moved away, and his long, black cape flapped noisily about behind him.

But there was nobody there to hear his presence.

In the next instant, he was no longer in sight.

—————————————————————

"Shikamaru told me you were looking for me," Naruto grinned. The trio were now seated in the store hut of the huge inner garden the tavern owned. It was small and dim - its only source of light being the moonlight that shone from the tiny window fixed on the rooftop. Cramped with hay and cleaning utensils of all sorts, it was obviously quite unused by the people here. None of them seemed to mind it, though. This meant that they would be undisturbed, after all. "...so here I am! Did you miss me, Sakura-chan?"

"Like hell!" Sakura delivered a hand-chop on Naruto's head, causing him to wince and whine in pain. "It's true that I'm glad you got me into the capital, and I was looking for you because I still haven't paid you for helping me. That's ALL, you hear!" She gave him another hand-chop.

"Ow ow ow... okay, okay, I get it already, Sakura-chan!" He rubbed the sore spot on his head with a sigh. "And you don't have to pay me anything back!" Naruto said with a slight smile. "I'm not some corrupt patrol guard you can bribe to get in to the capital with," he flexed an arm. "I only help those I like. And I like you, Sakura-chan!"

That earned him another punch. "Get serious, Naruto!" Sakura screeched, blushing slightly from either anger or embarrassment. "Or I'll haul you outside and you see if there're any other taverns willing to open their doors for you at this ungodly time in the night!"

"But Sakura-chan, I /am/ being serious!" Naruto complained. And to one side, where he was hiding in the shadows, Sasuke sighed. At the rate they were quarreling, nothing would ever get discussed. It was time to interfere.

"Naruto," the Uchiha said, as calmly as he could, "why don't you just get to the point? We don't have much time left."

His sentence forced the room into an awkward, anticipating silence. Naruto moved first, turning from staring at Sasuke to grunting something akin to approval under his breath. A tug at his sleeve from Sakura distracted him momentarily. "Who's that boy standing in the corner of the room?" Sakura asked, timidly. Naruto blinked.

"That's Uchiha Sasuke," he introduced, without any fanfare. "Sasuke, this is Haruno Sakura - the most beautiful cherry blossom in the entire land that--oof!" He clutched his sore toe, which Sakura had stomped on.

"Pleased to meet you, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura ignored Naruto's cry of pain and smiled widely at Sasuke, who tried desperately not to cringe. He nodded once in acknowledgement at the girl, but did not say anything. Instead, he averted his eyes to where Naruto was.

Apparently, the blond's toe was no longer smarting, for he could now stand upright. His face was no longer contorted in pain or waiting to break into a joke or two. Glancing seriously at Sakura, the girl could feel that his attitude was different as well. She stared at him with a frown, daring him to proceed. Which he did.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto began, scratching his head uneasily, "...well, to cut a long story short, we're currently on the run from the law and need a place to stay." He looked at her in the eye seriously. "You're one of the few in this whole capital that I dare to trust, Sakura-chan. Can you please let us hide in your tavern for a few days? I mean, we may get you into trouble, so it's all right if you don't want to house us. We're tough guys, so," he punched himself once on his chest, "...we can handle staying on the outback for a few days!"

Sakura remained silent for a few seconds after Naruto's question. "Why are you wanted by the law?" She asked, and her tone was free from accusation.

"No particular reason," Naruto grinned. "Someone in the palace just doesn't like me too much," he laughed. "But then again, when has anybody ever liked me?"

"So it's something you can't tell me?" Sakura pressed on.

Naruto's shoulders slumped slightly. But he continued to smile at the girl. "Nope! I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."

Sakura snorted in response, waving a hand dismissively. "Don't be sorry, idiot. There's nothing wrong in wanting to keep some secrets away from prying eyes." She stood up and pulled some stuck hay away from her clothing. "I'm glad, actually," she finally said, looking sidelong at the slightly stunned Naruto, through a curtain of thin, pink hair. "...when I met you those years ago, you'd always give me and tell me anything I wanted. I was almost wondering if you had a brain of your own or not," her lips quirked upwards into a slight smile. "Glad to see you still have some sense of self in you after all!"

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto mumbled, unsure of what to make of her words.

"I have nothing against a man who knows what he's doing!" Sakura cheerfully proclaimed, her face wide with smiles. "I won't ask you what you're up to, and I won't give you away to the constables. I can give you room and board - but," her tone turned serious, as did her facade, "...I demand that you two big, strong young lads work for it in return!"

After taking a moment to process if those words were true or a mere jibe, Naruto broke into a grin as well. "Yes, m'am!" He cheered, throwing both hands up into the air in approval.

From where he stood, Sasuke merely sighed. But an onlooker would have noticed the small upside curve of his lips, if they had been careful in their observation.****

—————————————————————  
8/5/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Sixteen

  
The next morning started off with a loud, "EEEEH?"

"Go shout somewhere else! I'm running a business here, Naruto!" Sakura roared at the boy from her spot behind the cashier counter. A customer stepped up to foot the bill and she reverted from her angry sulk to a brightening smile in the span of split seconds. Once she collected the money, she turned back to glaring at the two uneasy boys standing before her. "I give you food and lodging, the least you could do is go out there and work for it!"

"But why can't we work here for you?" Naruto whined. "Then we can chat about old times while we're doing our jobs! It'll be so romantic!" He leered, lapsing into a daydream before he even realised he was going to.

Sakura twitched, then grabbed the abacus set on the counter and rammed it roughly against Naruto's forehead, breaking him out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry but my tavern has no jobs available for perpetual pranksters like yourself. Ah!" Her frown melted into a smile, and her growl mellowed into a soft melody. "But if you want to, you can help out with the waitering, Sasuke-kun!" She beamed. "We'll always have positions available for hunks like you!"

Sasuke had already taken an instinctive step backwards. "I'm sorry," he managed to mutter, "I only serve one master."

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto agreed enthusiastically, more so with Sasuke's rejection of Sakura's offer than his mention of his loyalty to his master. "In the first place, why does he get to be called with a nice suffix when I don't!" He complained, and Sakura set her raging sights on him again.

"That's because a lot more quiet and subtle than you are!" Sakura snapped. She flicked a stray lock of pink hair back over her shoulders. "That's how a gentleman should behave! Anyway," she sighed dramatically, "...it's too bad you don't want to take up my offer, Sasuke-kun! My doors of employment are opened to you any day, though!" She chirped. Sasuke blinked. Pointing at Naruto, Sakura roared, "Whatever it is, I want you both out of the tavern during the day, and back only after we close for business!" She tapped at the counter. "I'll serve dinner only after I close shop. Nothing for you here until then!"

"But Sakura-chaaan..." Naruto began to protest. He was stopped short by Sasuke, who grabbed him by the scuff of his neck and literally hauled him out of the doors of the tavern.

"Thanks for your hospitality," he managed to say before exiting the busy place completely. "We will do as you ask in exchange for it."

Sakura smiled brightly, and was about to reply. But Naruto and Sasuke were already nowhere to be seen by the time she had gotten over her initial inner squeal of delight that Sasuke had spoken more than two words to her at a go.

—————————————————————

It was a bright day outside the tavern. The streets were lined with the usual stores - vibrant and energetic stallkeepers hawking their wares, from carpets to masks, to foodstuff and housewares. As the streets were wider, there were also more people walking to and fro than there were at the outskirt city. At least, that was it looked like to Naruto, who crouched behind a small side alley, observing the crowds from his humbled position.

"She's right, you know," Sasuke, who was leaning on the wall beside him, said. "If Sakura's tavern has a sudden increase of two new, strange and suspicious faces, it would be a great cause for concern, especially since the capital is drawing nearer to the coronation date. If the constables got suspicious, she's not going to be the only one in trouble - /we/ are as well."

"I know all that," Naruto grumbled, eyes still affixed on the crowd on the main street. "...I was just hoping she'd tell it to me in a nicer way..." He sighed, long and loud, ruffling his own hair.

"Do you like her?" Sasuke prompted, when Naruto did not speak for a long time. Naruto did not take long to respond to that.

"Yup!" He chirped, smiling openly. "Not that it seems like she's going to fall in love with me anytime soon, that is." He laughed sheepishly. Then he shot Sasuke a warning glare. "Don't you dare court her! Because one day she /will/ fall for me, so don't get in my way, you hear!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, one step short of sighing in exasperation. "Yes/sir," he grunted, rather sarcastically.

But the satire rolled off Naruto's back easily. For his response was to grin widely and say with sincerity, "Thanks! I'm holding you up on that!"

Sasuke shrugged. "When we finish what we're here to do," he said vaguely, "...you'll be free to take any lady in the land as your wife or concubine, whether or not she likes it." He glanced at Naruto, and noticed that the blond was looking somewhat horrified. "It's your prerogative - especially when you achieve to that status. It's been like that since times beginni--"

"No bloody way!" Naruto shrieked, shaking his head desperately. "I'm /not/ gonna order people to marry me - not especially if they don't even /like/ me, hell no!" He stood up, so he could look at Sasuke in the eye. "Don't you give me strange ideas! I'm gonna make Sakura-chan fall in love with me willingly or nothing doing!" He snorted loudly, making Sasuke blink in surprise.

The Uchiha then opened his mouth, meaning to say something, when a loud trumpet blast interrupted their conversation. All around the main street, hawkers and passers-by alike began to shuffle noisily towards the two sides, leaving a large clearing space in the middle of the sandy main street.

Naruto peered over the shoulders of the people who were now blocking the entrance of the side alley. Though the road was cleared, and the trumpet was blasting, he could not see anything significant happening. "Hey, Sasuke," he elbowed his friend in the ribs. "...what's going on? What's the big occasion?"

Just at the moment of his asking, two constables with gold-crafted helmets strode into the wide area that had been cleared. They bore curved swords bearing the insignia of the Palace, and glared at the people from left to right, daring any to step forward to block their way. For those who were yet in their line of sight, they chased away with loud voices and rough gesturing.

Murmured debating escalated into wild cheers when an exquisite sedan came into view, carried on the shoulders of four strong men via two parallel base beams; each on a corner. The sedan turned the corner of the previous street into this one, and the cheering skyrocketed. Naruto could see from the corner of his eyes that Sasuke had opened his mouth to answer him his question, but the cheering was so loud that he could not hear his voice at all.

After a few hand signs and wild guesses, Naruto and Sasuke decided that they would leave the discussion of the sedan for until when there was much lesser noise. The duo then simply shut their mouths and watched as the procession surged through their part of the street.

Naruto, especially, watched the scene carefully, intrigued. There were never such large processions in his previous place of dwelling, after all. The sedan was very beautiful, and there were guards as well as hand maidens accompanying it. The cloth that veiled the one seated inside was pastel pink, and embroidered with intricate designs of phoenixes and flowers. Naruto wondered if it was a lady who sat within the moving sedan.

He did not have to wonder for long.

The small window of the sedan eventually came within Naruto's view. As he stared, intrigued by the sheer immensity of it all, a pale hand lifted the cloth of the window and the occupant inside glanced out of it. For a brief moment in time, Naruto locked gazes with the girl - yes, definitely a girl, and a rather pretty one at that. He blinked, however, and the moment passed. The lady had let the curtain down and she no longer gazed outside her sedan at the world around her.

The last of the sedan companions passed, and the crowds began to filter back into the main road, filling it up like it used to be before the procession came. Slowly, the entrance of the side alley became visible, and standing right there, was Naruto, with his arms folded across his chest.

"Mummy, mummy," a little girl who had been standing in front of Naruto tugged at her mother's sleeve. "...the Princess is so beautiful! Can I be like her when I grow up?"

The girl's mother's response was lost on Naruto, as he digested what he had just heard. "The Princess?" He asked aloud, to nobody in particular.

"Yes," Sasuke commented, rather dryly, from behind him.

"..." Naruto blinked, remembering the shy, pale face that peered at him from behind the slightly lifted curtain. "...yeah, she was kinda pretty. Though not as much as Sakura-chan!"

Sasuke was momentarily silent. "She is the Princess Hyuuga Hinata, eldest heiress to the Duke Lord Hyuuga, who is the largest land owner in all of Fire - making him the most influencial noble family of the land... and..."

Naruto stared at Sasuke, who stared back. "And so...?" He prompted, knowing that Sasuke had something else to say.

Something else in which he had a bad feeling about.

"The Fourth your father," Sasuke spoke very slowly, "...had a marriage alliance with Lord Hyuuga." He paused.

Naruto's breath caught in his throat.

"On the day of your ascension," Sasuke continued, with a slight tinge of apology in his tone, "you are to take his eldest daughter as your wife, the queen." He turned his eyes from looking at Naruto to looking in the direction where the sedan was last seen headed in. "Hyuuga Hinata," Sasuke concluded,

"...is your fiancee."

—————————————————————

The capital city had always been loud.

"EEEEEEEEEH!"

But that indignated cry on that day must have broken all known records of volume the capital had ever held.

—————————————————————

For a few hours after the stunning revelation, Sasuke was very disturbed.

Naruto had not uttered a word since then. He had simply decided to saunter the streets, head hung and posture lowered.

After the two hundredth and twenty seventh time Naruto bumped into a building, the hundred and nineteenth time he walked into someone coming from the opposite direction, and the seventy fourth time he tripped over a pebble, Sasuke finally sighed, realising he was tired of counting the number of times Naruto had failed to hold himself up. He grabbed the wobbly blond by the shoulder and hauled him off the main streets.

A little while of travelling saw that they were now near a side street, where there were less people and less houses. The dirt path that they were on led out into the mountaineous regions behind the capital, so it was wide and windy. Naruto and Sasuke came to a stop just at an abandoned well, which stood before a middle-sized tree that was devoid of leaves and nutrition.

There was a swing and several toppled benches and stools around the tree. Naruto wobbled carelessly over to the swing and all but collapsed onto it. Sasuke shook his head and rolled his eyes, following his friend over. He pushed a stool upright and brought it near the swing, setting the stool down and sitting down on it. He folded his arms across his chest and relaxed, closing his eyes, feeling the light breeze coming from the mountains.

"Are you done feeling depressed?" He finally asked, when Naruto sighed for the thousand two hundredth and sixth time since the procession. "If you are, then it's time for us to start thinking about what we're going to do to get a hold of something to pay Sakura with for her hospitality."

"Sasuke" Naruto whined, the first word since the miraculous silence he had maintained for the past few hours. "...if I don't become King or something... then I won't have to marry that Pinata Princess girl or anything, right?"

"It's Princess Hinata," Sasuke whacked him hard on the back of his head. "And don't you dare even think about it." He threatened, cracking his knuckles loudly in front of Naruto while he was at it. The blond rubbed the bump on the back of his head soulfully.

"But it's just /wrong/ to marry someone I don't even know!" He protested, rather weakly. "Why am I even talking about marriage anyway!" He clasped his face in horror. "I'm only sixteen! I've never even had a girlfriend all my life! And now you're telling me I have to get married! Hell no! This is ridiculous!" He stood from the swing, sudden determination evident in his eyes. "I'm going back to Iruka-sensei and telling him this was all nothing but a big joke--wah!"

Naruto did not get to finish his sentence. Sasuke had stood as well, put his two hands on his shoulders, and pushed the boy back down onto the swing. "/You're/ the one being ridiculous." He scolded, once Naruto was back to being seated on the swing. Using his currently lofty positioning, he glared down at Naruto, who glared back defiantly.

"Don't you know how much trouble Iruka-sensei already is in?" Sasuke started, almost frenzily. "Don't you suppose that the Palace would have kept records of which tutor has been sent to take care of the crown prince since his departure from the place? Your disappearance was a big enough affair in the Palace already," Sasuke shook his head, "...and if you don't ascend the throne, then someone else will. And the people will then demand to know what happened to you, the real crown prince. The records will be checked, and Iruka-sensei will be hunted down like a criminal. Again!" He stepped backwards to allow light to fall upon Naruto's previously shaded face. "Can you bear to let that happen?"

Naruto said nothing, allowing the feral anger on his face to tell his part of the story for him.

"The only way to cancel Iruka-sensei's capital crime of hiding the crown prince and refusing to present him for coronation," Sasuke sighed softly, "...is for you to become King yourself, and to order the reversal of his statement." He paused to allow the information to sink in fully. "Do you understand?"

Naruto looked away. He bit his lower lip. "Yeah," he mumbled, "...but it doesn't mean I have to marry someone I don't know!"

"It doesn't mean you should use that as an excuse to run away and get Iruka-sensei into trouble either!" Sasuke snapped back in return. "Naruto, get your perspective right! We're in the capital on borrowed time! In the eyes of the law, we don't even exist here! We either finish what we're here for, or we die trying..." he glanced away, tired, "...and bring down everybody who stood on our side in the crossfire. I don't just mean Iruka-sensei, or Kakashi." He turned to look at Naruto seriously. "Sakura is also involved."

Naruto's glare mellowed into a hard stare. Finally, he growled and tossed his hands up into the air. "Meeting you has got to be the worst thing that's ever happened to me!"

He saw Sasuke clench his fist immediately in reaction, and was almost convinced that he would be at the receiving end of yet another one of his temperamental friend's punches, when Sasuke relaxed suddenly, and lowered his head.

"I'm sorry," the words were so soft, Naruto wondered if they were meant to be heard at all. But he had no chance to find out, for in the next moment, Sasuke had turned and was following the dirt path back to the capital proper. "Come on," Sasuke was saying, in a louder, sterner voice. "...let's go back before Sakura thinks we've decided to ditch."

Naruto simply glanced at Sasuke's moving back, slowly disappearing into the crowd. He frowned, slightly angry at himself, then ran forward to catch up with his friend. Neither saying anything, nor knowing what he could say.  
****

—————————————————————  
20/5/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Seventeen

The sudden tension between Naruto and Sasuke did not go unnoticed by Sakura, when they reappeared magically in the backyard of the tavern after sundown. It was so thick, that all Sakura could do was to allow them to return to their shared room in peace, with a soft 'Dinner will be ready in a while,' being the only thing she could utter to the duo. Naruto headed back first, but Sakura caught Sasuke by his cape and held him back.

"Sasuke-kun," she whispered, just as Naruto swung the room door shut. Sasuke stopped just short of being hit in the nose by the door, and turned back to glance at the tavern owner questioningly. Sakura beckoned him over to another empty room, her countenance serious. Glancing once at the door Naruto had just slammed, Sasuke then glanced at the floor, then turned entirely. With quiet, padded steps, he followed Sakura into the room.

As Sakura closed the door quietly behind her and latched it, Sasuke found a spot near the window where he could stare at the moon outside. It was going to be a full moon soon. Coronation day was approaching. So absorbed he was in planning the itinery for the next few days, that he almost did not hear Sakura's next words.

"I couldn't believe it at first," Sakura was saying, "...but Naruto is the crown prince, isn't he?"

This caused Sasuke to tear himself away from looking at the moon outside, whirling around fiercely to stare at Sakura in wide-eyed surprise. The question in his eyes was obvious. 'How did you know'?

Sakura's eyes darkened slightly. "I was just giving Naruto's presence in the capital a passing thought," she began, "when a few Rank One constables stepped into the tavern." She closed her eyes, as if in remembrance. "They took me to a quiet spot and began asking me with rather subtle threats if I had received any strange guests in the past few days. I'm not that stupid, and I knew they were asking for you, Sasuke-kun," she glanced upwards at the Uchiha. "...or at least, that was what I thought at first."

Sasuke frowned slightly. "Because I'm a wanted man?" He asked candidly. Sakura nodded.

"I recognised your face and name immediately upon introduction," she explained.

"And you didn't think to let the most wanted man in the land into your tavern?" Sasuke frowned, slightly suspicious.

Sakura's response was to nod and beam happily. "But you're a friend of Naruto," she said, like it was the most natural reason to give for letting a dangerous criminal under her roof. "There's nothing for me to be afraid of."

Sasuke took a few seconds to stare at the girl incredulously. When she smiled again at him, he snapped out of his trance. He coughed into his fist and turned back to the window, trying to sort his thoughts out. "That doesn't explain how you came to the conclusion that Naruto is the crown prince," he demanded numbly. From behind him, Sakura giggled.

"Aren't you going to try to deny it at least?" She was saying. "What if I'm a spy?"

Sasuke shrugged. "You're a friend of Naruto," he smirked. "There's nothing for me to be afraid of."

The duo continued to stare at each other. Until Sakura broke away from the competition by shifting her glance to the ground. "...Rank One constables don't get sent out to interrogate suspected accomplices of mere illegal entrees," Sakura eventually said. "...which is why I initially assumed they were after you. After a while, though," she looked to a side, "...it became obvious that they were looking for someone else. No matter how I quietly tested them about their motive, they were shrewd enough to sidestep the issue." She giggled suddenly. "But they let it slip eventually." Her face turned serious. "That they were looking for someone who was of threat to the throne." She looked up at Sasuke. "The Uchiha clan may be in charge of protecting the liege, but as far as I knew, they have no claim to the throne."

"..." Sasuke's eyes were still brimming with question. Sakura smiled and nodded, as if in understanding.

"You should know better than I do that Rank One constables are under the direct order of the Supreme Constable Chief," she paused, "Orochimaru."

The name made Sasuke jump slightly in shock. How did a mere commoner girl know so much about the protocol of the Palace?

"I have a lot of connections," Sakura answered, as if able to read his thoughts. "It's not easy, trying to survive by myself with a tavern in the capital. If I don't keep myself up to date, I'll wither faster than a cherry blossom in the desert."

"I don't see how this made you conclude that Naruto is the one threatening the current coronation," Sasuke continued to press.

"They wanted to search the place," Sakura then answered, her voice suddenly hollow. "...and insisted on unsheathing every single sword there was in the tavern - including those of the ones sitting on the restaurant, having their meals." She turned her serious eyes to Sasuke. "It must be the most well-kept secret in the entire land, that the constables thought the commoners had no knowledge of, but like I mentioned, I have connections."

Sasuke frowned. "They were looking for the Sword--"

"The Sword of Jewels," Sakura finished his sentence for him. "The sceptre of authority in the land of Fire." She shook her head. "It became easy to join the dots from there. Orochimaru sent Rank One constables to this mere small tavern of mine to purportedly look for some criminal who has escaped illegally into the capital. Assuming that commoners like us have no knowledge of the going-ons behind the Palace, he gave them a warrant to search the tavern for a sword, instead of the supposed criminal. Why is that so? What sword could be so important? If I were Orochimaru, what could be on my mind?"

Taking a slight pause, Sakura then gestured mildly. "The first thing on my mind would be to stop the current coronation. Yet being Orochimaru, I would also know that the people are loyal to their liege the Fourth and will accept nothing less than his closest relation to succeed the throne. What is the next best way to solve this problem then? Why, to prove that the current successor - Tsunade-sama, no longer had the favour of authority. How can he convince the people of that? There is but only one way left to take over without the people causing a mutiny," Sakura put her hands on her waist. "To seize the Sword of Jewels from wherever it is now."

Sasuke gaped at her.

"It's no secret within the underground information ring that the Sword of Jewels has been snuck out of the Palace a long time ago," Sakura continued. "The Palace keeps it under wraps, and they have been rather successful, but not from those who are aware. When Orochimaru's constables showed up at my tavern, I already had my suspicions. When they started looking for a sword, I knew that I had my conclusion."

Sasuke shook his head. "That's brazen," he stated. "I don't see how the dots connect at all."

"But Sasuke-kun," Sakura smiled lightly at him. "Naruto may be slightly dense at times, but he's not flat-out stupid." She tsked. "He wouldn't walk around the capital, knowing he was an illegal entry, and yet wrap his sword up with so much bandages that it would probably take him an hour to remove the wrappings to actually draw his sword out to defend himself, unless he had a very good reason to hide the sword from common sight." She then pointed at Sasuke with a determined look on her face. "...the Uchiha may have been almost completely massacred, but the Uchiha I know from history would never call another man his master," she nodded happily, "...unless he was his true liege." Then she sobered up slightly. "Uchiha Itachi aside, that is."

Her last sentence made Sasuke tense up. He bit his lower lip, as if biting back a retort. He kept silent for a while more, before finally shaking his head in disbelief. "You actually believe in that impossible line of logic?"

Sakura kept her smile. "A wise man once said, that when all possibilities are eliminated, the only choice left, however, improbable, must logically be the correct answer." A series of snickers escaped through her smiling lips. "Or something like that. I don't remember it exactly, but that's the main idea." She put a curled up fist near her lips. "So did I get it right?"

Sasuke was silent. For a while. Then he spun around, back to his original position of staring at the moon outside the window. "You should close your tavern," Sasuke muttered, a tone of resignation in his voice, "...and start up a detective agency."

Sakura tried unsuccessfully to rein in her giggles of delight to that indirect praise.

"But that's good," Sasuke continued, his hands gripping the window frame tightly. "...and bad at the same time." He whirled around to look at Sakura in the eye. "Orochimaru has already zeroed in on this tavern. We're not safe here anymore," he sighed. "And neither are you."

"I can handle them, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said with grit. "I called you here to warn you about Orochimaru and his men. I know..." she stammered. "...that you probably want to leave right away so... I've gotten my backdoor tunnel ready. You can go anytime, but please..." she closed her eyes and twisted her fingers about themselves. "...take care of Naruto. Whatever you do... don't let him fall into the hands of Orochimaru, please." She gave him a thumbs up. "I'll be behind you guys all the way!"

Sasuke, half listening and half thinking about something else, took a while to respond to Sakura's cheering. "Sakura," he said, and Sakura almost jumped out of her skin. "We're not running away anymore," he shook his head. "...at least/I'm/ not going to run anymore." He walked towards Sakura, brushing by her, leaving her confused with his words. As his hands touched the door latch, Sakura spun around quickly to confront him.

"Are you going to go up against Orochimaru!" She had to keep herself from shrieking. "All by yourself!" Her head began to shake desperately from left to right. "I didn't tell you all these to send you to your doom! Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke had already unlatched the door and pulled it open. "Bring Naruto to somewhere Orochimaru can't find him for the next couple of days." He stepped out. "I'll keep Orochimaru's men distracted. Naruto should know what to do on coronation day. Until then, help me make sure he stays out of sight."

"But, Sasuke-kun--"

"Naruto trusts you," Sasuke turned around slightly to glance at the frantic Sakura. "I trust you too."

Properly shocked into silence by the boy's words, Sakura could only watch, unmoving, as Sasuke stepped out of the room.

Not even sparing a second glance back.****

—————————————————————  
20/5/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Eighteen

  
When Naruto woke up the next morning, there was strong sunlight filtering through the broken wood banisters of the ceiling. The air was humid and stiff, with a whiff of foul smell drifting into his nostrils every now and then. Naruto crinkled his nose, disturbed by the rather strange change in senses from what he had remembered last night. He tried to open his eyes, but found that they were as if taped shut. With a hand, he reached over to rub his eyes. This helped slightly. At least with movement, he felt more awake.

With a sudden rush of energy, he sat up. He heard the obligatory rustling of cloth, and his foot bumped against something heavy and long. Probably his sword. What he hadn't expected to hear, was the sound of a soft cry of terror, followed by the noisy clattering of metal coins slipping from a substantial height to fall against the wooden flooring.

Naruto rubbed his eyes sleepily. He noticed that he was in a rundown shack of sorts, whose gaping holes showed him clearly the huge green plains outside. There was a rather slow-moving stream beside it. He turned his attention from the surroundings to interior of the room instead. There was a short, hooded figure standing before him, holding what looked like the travelling pack he had taken along when leaving the outskirt city. For a while, Naruto simply stared at the figure. And the figure stared back.

"You very cold?" Naruto suddenly broke the silence by asking. Thereafter, he yawned and stretched. "You've been shaking like a leaf for the past minute or so."

Much to the confused blond's surprise, however, the shivering figure dropped the pack in its hands and fell to its knees. "I...I'm sorry!" Naruto jumped slightly. It was a girl's voice. "I'm sorry, sir! I was not trying to steal your money, I assure you! I was hoping to find food in your travel pack... I have gone without food two days and... you have been sleeping there from since yesterday, without a twitch in muscle, so I thought you would have no use for the food in your pack anymore and..." Naruto could see the girl biting her lower lip. "I...I'm really sorry! P...Please don't hurt me..."

"Two days...?" Naruto, however, put a hand on his dizzy head and mumbled to himself. "I've been sleeping for two days?" His engine warmed up by now, he glanced around himself again, analysing the location and the possibilities of what could have happened. "Hey... where... where are we?" He asked, finally realising that he was no longer in Sakura's inn. "...have I really been out for two days?" He shook his head, trying to remember.

The hooded figure shook her head. "I...I only came to this place yesterday... and you were already here. Y...you were so still, I thought you were... de...dead..."

Naruto had already gotten to his feet by this time. His face was sombre, and he looked at the spilt contents of his travelling pack. "Where are we?" He asked again, and the girl gulped uneasily.

"On...on the river near the eastern garbage dump of the capital, sir..." she mumbled, playing with her fingers as she did. Naruto felt a slight pang of shock shoot through his body. This meant that he was rather far removed from the centre of the capital, where Sakura's inn was located. He rummaged through the spilt contents of the travelling bag he was sure he did not pack, and found money, food, clothing and other journeying necessities, amongst other things. One thing in particular caught his attention among the messy stack.

A letter. Folded neatly into a clean, white envelope. Marked with his name.

"Did you see a tall dude with messy black hair and a really stupid looking old cape during the whole time you were here?" He asked the hooded figure, who shook her head no. By then, Naruto had taken the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it to reveal a neat, calligraphic handwritten message.

/Naruto/ the boy recognised it to be Sakura's handwriting immediately/...I am writing you this to update you on the situation. For the duration of this letter, just pretend that I already know everything - about your status, and Sasuke-kun's status, okay? Good. Now listen. Sasuke-kun is gone. He's gone to find Orochimaru - to distract him so you can carry out your mission on coronation day without interference. It's insane. But I couldn't stop him. The least I could do, however, was to make sure you don't get found by the constables before coronation day. He asked that I do so before he left. I'm doing it because I feel it is a logical choice to make.

/I've taken the liberty to drug you into a deep sleep for a couple of days. I'm sorry for that, but I can't have you running around and risking Sasuke-kun's sacrifice until the time is ripe. If you've noticed, I've put you near the outskirt of the capital. Come back as soon as you wake up, Naruto. You'd better be here before coronation day, or I'll seriously kick your ass. Save Sasuke-kun, please. Stop him from this madness. I couldn't do it. But I know you can. I'm counting on you, Naruto! Please/

There followed a long, abrupt silence.

"...a...are you all right, sir?" The hooded girl finally asked, thinking that Naruto was displeased with her answer to his previous question. "Is there anything I..."

"You," Naruto suddenly spoke out loud, and the girl snapped to attention. "...when is coronation day?" He asked. "...do you know?"

The girl gulped so loudly, Naruto thought he could hear it. "...It is tomorrow, sir," she informed very quietly. Naruto heaved a sigh of relief.

Standing up, Naruto tucked the letter into his pocket and tested the sword he now picked up, putting it on his side. As he slowly unwrapped the bandages around the sword to reveal the hilt, the girl gasped.

"That... that's the Sword of Jewels!" She tried to hide her shocked voice to no avail. She then covered her mouth when she had finished her sentence, as if she had made a great slip up.

Naruto, however, did not feel the same way. He grinned, unsheathing the Sword fully to check if it was still intact. "Haha... Sasuke wasn't lying when he said every single person in the capital knew what the Sword looked like!" Satisfied that the Sword was still intact, Naruto sheathed it back with a loud sound and loosely wound the unwrapped bandages back over the hilt. Turning to the hooded figure, he beamed. "Thanks for everything! You can help yourself to whatever you want in that travel pack, even the money!" After that was said and done, Naruto turned towards the door.

"...are you going to the central capital?" The girl's sudden question made Naruto pause. "...to stop the coronation?"

The blond quickly whipped back around to face her. "That's so cool! Can you read minds?" He asked, genuinely amazed.

The girl opened her mouth to say something, possibly embarrassing, but caught her tongue in time to stop the words from forming. She then muttered, "The Sword of Jewels... can only be unsheathed by the rightful monarch of the land..." She went back to playing with her fingers. "...so... so you must be going to stop the coronation... so you can take the thro--"

"I'm not!" Naruto interrupted with a loud denial, looking at the girl with a stern countenance. "I don't care about the throne," he frowned. "...I just don't want to run away anymore."

That seemed to strike a chord within the girl, for she repeated, almost dreamily, "...run away...? Fro...from who?"

Naruto looked at his feet, bothered. "From everything," he finally mumbled. He turned to face the door once again. "...from myself." There was a pause. "People have been protecting me all my life, and not only do I not appreciate their efforts, I'm always going against them." There was firm determination in his voice when he next spoke. "It's time to stop running away from myself. It's time I become responsible for my own affairs!" Glancing up, he grinned at the hooded girl. "Thanks for everything! I guess I'll see you around then!"

"Wait!" The girl called out before Naruto could disappear completely from sight. Naruto's hand paused just on the broken door handle of the hut, and he gave her a questioning look. "You won't..." the girl paused, looking left and right, as if for the right words to say, "...you won't be able to reach the central capital in time using the conventional road back, so..." She went on her knees and kowtowed to the boy. "So pl...please allow me to guide you back through the forest route!" Her voice, muffled into the floorboards, could nevertheless be heard. "I...I know of a faster way there through the forest that will bring us back to the central capital a short while before the coronation ceremony and..."

"Woah there woah there!" Naruto cut in, kneeling down to be on level with the girl, who had the shock of her life, especially when Naruto grabbed her elbow and hoisted her to her feet. "Quit it with the kneeling, oh please! I've had enough people kneeling in front of me to last me my entire life!" He steadied the girl, who stared at him from beneath the shadows of her hood. Naruto crossed his arms before his chest. "Pardon me for asking, lady, but didn't you run away from the central capital because of something? And now you're saying you want to help me go back there? I think not!" He scoffed. "Just tell me which way to take and I'll go there myself," he shook a finger at her. "I'm not going to put more people into danger because of my ridiculous quest!"

At first, the girl gaped silently. Then she blurted, "How... did you know I ran away from the central...?"

Naruto shrugged. "Look at you!" He gestured. "You obviously came out of wherever you were staying in a rush since you don't even have food or money. Either you're a prisoner or you ran away from home, take your pick," Naruto shrugged. "Since you seem to know the route to central so well, you obviously came from there, so tadah!" The blond grinned cheerfully. Then he became slightly more sombre. "But enough of that. If you want to tell me how to get to central on time, then do it now. If not, don't waste my time. I'm gonna run the whole way there on the main route and give that Orochimaru a blast in the ass with this Sword when I get there until he lets Sasuke go!" He snarled slightly. "That'll teach him to mess with Uzumaki Naruto's friends!"

The girl continued in silence for a while. She pressed her fingers against each other until they were drained of blood. Knowing she could not kneel, she nevertheless bowed. "Pl...please allow me to guide you there, Naruto-sama!" She uttered desperately. "Seeing the Sword unsheathed is as good as seeing the liege... I...I have a duty to serve you to whatever means you wish to achieve and--"

"WAAAH! STOP STOP STOP STOP!" Naruto shrieked, putting both his hands on his head. "Don't you go all lordy lord on me, young lady! I don't remember ever becoming your anything!" He pointed at the terrified girl. "Listen! I'm /not/ going to be bringing you into the central capital to send you back to where you obviously ran away from! So tell me the shortcut and I'll take it myself, you hear! Or I'll go there by the main route without you if I have to do it!"

"But Na...Naruto-kun..." The girl stuttered, "...no... no matter how fast you run on the main road, you won't get to central capital on time for the coronation... and... your friend... Uchiha Sasuke..." she bit her lip, "...has been slated for execution on the exact hour of the coronation so..."

"What!" Naruto shouted, and the girl trembled fearfully. "They're going to execute Sasuke! Who told you that! Who gave the damn order!"

"U...Uchiha Sasuke is the most wanted criminal in the entire land, Naruto-kun," the girl softly reminded. "So... news of his capture has already spread throughout not just the capital, but the entire land already..." She gulped. "The order to execute him comes directly fr...from Orochimaru-sama... and if the current liege do...doesn't oppose to it upon her coronation then he... he will die..." She twiddled with her fingers. "Th...that was the news I heard before I left the central capital... last night..."

Naruto's eyes were bright with shock; his brows furrowed with disbelief. "Sasuke..." he whispered to himself, angry and helpless. "...you stupid idiot!" He cursed, bringing the bandaged Sword near him so he could touch the hilt with his forehead. "I don't care about becoming King! It's not worth your life! Not worth our friendship!" He growled unhappily to himself, gripping the Sword so hard, his knuckles turned pale white.

"Naruto-kun?" The girl asked, worriedly, when Naruto did not say anything else for a while. Naruto lowered his Sword and turned to look at the girl seriously.

"What's your name?" He asked her pointedly.

"Hy...Hyuuga Hinata..." Hinata managed to garble after taking a little time to get over the sudden question. She lowered her hood so that Naruto could see her entire face and bowed simply at him. "Pl...pleased to meet you."

"Hmm... Hinata, huh?" Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Where've I heard that name before?" He wondered out loud. Hinata blushed slightly at that, looking about the area around her feet in panic. "Ah well," the blond eventually shrugged. "...can't remember now. Probably nothing important." He returned his whole attention to the strangely relieved Hinata. "Hey, Hinata! You /really/ don't mind bringing me back to central capital using that shortcut of yours?"

Again, Hinata bowed her head in Naruto's direction. "It would be my honour!"

"Then I won't stand on ceremony!" Naruto returned his reply immediately, with urgent enthusiasm. "I need to get back to the capital before the ceremony even starts. I have to help Sasuke." There was an unmovable glint of grit shining forth from Naruto's clear, blue eyes. "Can you guarantee that your short-cut will bring us there by today?"

"Ye...yes, sir!" Hinata gasped slightly. "If...if we can use Chakra to power our steps, reaching there by sunset should be no problem at all!"

"Okay, let's set off immediately-wah!" Just as Naruto whirled around to face the door that would lead out of the hut, he found himself the target of a tremendous bout of dizziness. He stumbled over something random and fell onto his face on the ground.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata panicked, and rushed to his side. Turning him onto his back, she checked his pulse, while he groaned with slight pain from his previous encounter with the floor face-first. "Naruto-kun, h...how do you feel?" The girl asked, concerned.

"Ugh," the blond managed to garble. "...I've been feeling strangely woozy since I woke up. And when I went to sleep I remember I had like, four days more to the coronation or something. How come it's suddenly cut short to two days?" He groaned again. "You sure you didn't get the dates wrong or something, Hinata?"

"I...I don't think so," Hinata meekly replied. "Please stay still, Naruto-kun," she exhorted, then without waiting for a response, made a hand seal and closed her eyes. In the next moment, when she opened them, there were veins from her temples threading their way to her irises. "Byakugan!" She said, and Naruto immediately felt a chill creep over him. As if someone with great Chakra presence was sweeping him over with a fine-tooth brush. He could not help but to do as told - to stay still. His hair stood on ends. It was as if a single breath would cause the Chakra he was feeling to attack him. Eventually, Hinata's eyes reverted back to normal.

Now that Naruto thought about it, though, was it /normal/ to have completely white eyes with no pupils in the eyeballs at all?

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said, and her voice was slightly different from her usual stutters. There was a somewhat cold air of methodology and professionalism to it. "...your Chakra flow is completely out of order," she explained. "You been drugged with a Chakra-confusion solution." She frowned slightly. "...this is strange... with the amount of confusion in your Chakra system... you should have been out for at least three more days... how... Na...Naruto-kun!" She exclaimed, when Naruto suddenly sat up, paying no seeming heed to her words. "Pl...please stay still! If you confuse your Chakra system further, you..."

"I don't time!" Naruto hauled himself to his feet with the help of his sword. "Sasuke... Sasuke needs my help... and I..." he shook his head, evidently still slightly dizzy. "...I need his help too... I can't leave him in the lurch!"

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata protested. "Sasuke-kun is just a criminal on death parole! Please don't risk your life for--"

"He's not just a criminal on death parole!" Naruto roared, his hands outswept. "He's my friend! My best friend! My /only/ friend!" Hinata was forced two steps backwards by sheer impact of Naruto's unbridled rage, which unleashed a strange, mysterious kind of energy from within him. "Are you going to help me get there or not, Hinata?"

"Ye...yes!" Hinata's quick and determined reply surprised even herself. She bowed again, clasping her hands firmly against one another. "Please absolutely allow me to show you the way back to the capital, Naruto-kun!" She continued to enthuse. "But in exchange, please listen to what I have to say! Naruto-kun, I promise you we will reach the central capital by nightfall... but... in order for us to do that, you must be in tiptop condition. Y...you can hardly move two steps wi...without falling over your two feet, Naruto-kun! It wasn't just any normal drug you were given! Please understand!"

She now placed a hand over her heart. "I can purge the drug out of your body... but I need two hours," her eyes shone with sincerity. "Please rest for two hours, Naruto-kun! And leave the healing to me! If you... if you go to the capital now... Orochimaru-sama will... will definitely arrest you! And lock you up!" She shook her head. "Then you won't be ascend the throne and able to help your friend! You won't even be able to help yourself!"

For a while there was silence, where Naruto stared and Hinata trembled.

"How come..." Naruto asked, simply curious above everything else, "...you know so much about the going ons of the Palace... and so much about me?" He put a finger to his forehead. "Have I told you? That can't be... Sasuke forbade me to tell anyone... So how come...?" He turned to Hinata in curiosity.

"Because..." Hinata uttered softly, "...I..." Her eyes closed and her shoulders scrunched upwards.

But Naruto did not get to hear the rest of the sentence. The last thing he remembered was the overwhelming sensation of his brain being overtaken by what felt like a thousand clawing arms, and the eventual lurch in lucidity as he fell forward to the ground, and deeper into subconsciousness.

/I can't die.../ he heard a voice echoing his thoughts from within. /...I won't die!

/...so don't you dare die on me either... Sasuke/  
****

—————————————————————  
20/5/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead! **

**Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.**

**—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Nineteen**

At least, Sasuke thought wryly to himself, as he coughed out the blood stuck in his throat, he was so busy trying to deal with the pain he had no time for nightmares anymore.

It must have roughly been a day or so since Orochimaru had him captured. Sasuke did not know. He could no longer even tell if it was day or night in the dark cell he had been chained to. The severe pain he was suffering from as a result of Orochimaru's beating tools was still freshly torturing him, as if Orochimaru's men were constantly by his side, scalding and goring him, over and over again.

All they did so that they could find out the location of the Sword of Jewels. Without which Orochimaru would need a miracle to take over the coronation ceremony. Sasuke thought he could feel a loose tooth somewhere in his mouth. Probably from the slappings. He breathed, and his lungs found it hard to keep up with the speed which air was coming in. Maybe his ribcage was broken too.

All in all, he had gone through a hell of a lot of beatings and abuse, but he had revealed nothing. He smiled to himself. Naruto would be safe. Even if he missed the coronation ceremony, he would still be able to retake the throne anytime, as long as he had the Sword with him. Sasuke sighed. His duty was finally done. He would pay with death, and regret that he could never see Naruto crowned with his own eyes. But he felt at peace. At long last, his part was over. At long last.

He heard some movement from outside his solitary cell. Being the most wanted criminal in the land meant that he had a blocked up, square foot by square foot cell all to himself with no ventilation save the small window at the door where scraps of food and drinks of water were sometimes passed in from. It operated with a flap, though, so no light came in from there unless someone lifted up the flap that covered it from the other side. Sasuke found himself surprisingly intrigued by the sounds that were going on outside. He thought he could hear a familiar voice. But he could not really be sure.

The chattering of voices soon stopped. Footsteps could be heard coming closer and closer to Sasuke's walled up cell. Sasuke heard the flap being lifted up from the outside with a metallic creak. For a brief moment, a single ray of light burst forth from outside and pierced through the thick darkness within. Sasuke squinted slightly. He had almost forgotten how bright light really was.

The moment soon passed, for the flap was covered again promptly. Sasuke could hear something substantial fall to the ground. He felt at the area near the door and found himself picking up a round, hard piece of what felt like crusted bread. Well, Sasuke mused, this was certainly interesting. The guards outside had been throwing nothing bread crumbs into the cell since he was locked in here. How rare that they would drop an entire piece of bread in. Not that he was complaining.

Picking the bread up, he sniffed at it contemplatively. It smelled like a normal piece of dough, untainted by poison, as he initially had suspected it to be. Taking an experimental bite, he blinked in slight surprise. He removed his teeth from the item and stared at it.

There was a piece of paper wedged in the filling of the bread. Sasuke had felt it when he sank his teeth into it just now.

Frowning slightly, he activated his Sharingan with much difficulty. The beatings he had to sustain had taken much of his Chakra away, and he did not have much left for the Jutsu. Sudden clarity entered his vision, as he could now see what he held in the darkness. Carefully peeling the crust of the bread away, bit by bit, Sasuke eventually unveiled a folded piece of parchment, which had been carefully inserted into the filling. Brushing off the sticky lotus paste away from the paper, he unfolded it.

It was a note. From, surprise surprise, Shikamaru. It read/I've gotten head of most of the story from Sakura. If you're really Uchiha Sasuke, then you should have no problems reading this in solitary cell darkness. Anyway, just to pass you the message, Sakura says that she's hidden Naruto somewhere safe until coronation day, so you don't have to worry about him. And to update you on your current status, you will be hauled out and paraded around the main streets of the central capital in a cage on coronation day as well. It's a custom around here to do that to hardened criminals.

/Once the monarch is crowned, your life is in her hands. Naruto may be able to change that, if he makes it in time, but I fear he may get caught and killed by Orochimaru before anything happens. Thus I risk my life and limb to bring this message to you. Sasuke. We're busting you out on coronation day. I can't give you details now, but we're doing it. Naruto needs you to help him finish what he's supposed to do. I know it. You know it too. I'll keep you informed. Until then, I would appreciate it if you destroyed this parchment entirely after you're done with it. Until then. From Shikamaru./

At the end of the message, Sasuke broke out of the Sharingan, taking a while to catch his breath from the sudden, forceful concentration.

He was, naturally, unsure of what to think about this sudden twist in events.

On the one hand, what Shikamaru said made a lot of sense. Knowing Naruto, he was bound to carry out his mission of ascending the throne in a way that would give Sasuke a fatal heart attack, thus saving the Palace some execution budget. Yet on the other hand, Sasuke had previously resolved that he was no longer needed in this entire conspiracy. He had come in, done his part, and now all he had left to do was to fade out accordingly.

...or had he?

/Naruto needs you to help him finish what he's supposed to do./ Shikamaru's written words echoed in the back of his head, like he had been there just two seconds ago, reciting those words to Sasuke's ears. /I know it/ Shikamaru's words were confident, despite being mere strokes upon paper.

/You know it too./

—————————————————————

"I'm just kinda curious," Naruto wondered aloud, while hopping onto another tree trunk in a rapid burst of speed. "...why did you run away from home? Assuming the capital is your home, that is..." He directed his glance at Hinata, who was travelling alongside him. The girl put on a countenance of a trapped rabbit, and so Naruto quickly retracted his question. "You don't have to answer it if you don't want to, of course!" He grinned, holding both hands out amicably. "I was just asking for fun!"

They lapsed into a comfortable bout of silence, which both used to concentrate on overcoming the trees and reaching their destination as soon as possible. Therefore, when Hinata finally spoke up, her words were almost lost in the passage of the wind.

Almost.

"My father..." her voice was very tiny, and very timid, but Naruto's hearing was impressive, and he heard her all the same. "...wants to marry me off to a foreign land... because my first fiance is apparently... no longer available to fulfill his marriage vow to my family..."

"What!" Naruto immediately shrieked. "How could he! Did he run away with another girl or something? Even though he promised he'd marry you!"

"N...no..." Hinata shook her head. "It was an arranged marriage... that his father and my father concluded before we were even born... but... but for a long time after that there were no news of... of the boy so... so my father decided to call the arrangement off and betroth me to another man instead..." She bit her lower lip. "I...I couldn't take being treated like a commodity anymore... like I only exist to raise the value of my family, so I..." she gave soft sigh. "...I ran away."

"I see," Naruto remarked, eyes slightly glazed. "That sounds kinda like me," he continued, not noticing that Hinata suddenly blushed a beetroot red beside him. "So I guess that makes us both runaway fiances and fiancees?" He laughed loudly. "Hey, but it wasn't our faults," he then declared, equally loudly. "Our parents should be responsible for their own blunders! How could they go about doing their own things to us without asking for our permission first? So you don't have to be afraid, Hinata!" Naruto beamed at the girl reassuringly. "It wasn't your fault! You did the right thing in running away!"

The girl quickly looked to a side, finding the blond's grin to be rather attention-grabbing, so much so that she almost tripped over a leaf. "Th...thank you..." she whispered quietly. "...but I...I think I should have ta...talked it out with my father instead of running away... Ma...maybe he would have listened..." She gulped and looked at Naruto. "...I admire you, Naruto-kun. You have the courage to face your problems... you have the courage not to run away..."

At this, Naruto blinked in surprise at Hinata. He had never viewed himself as someone who had qualities to be admired, after all, so being praised by a contemporary was a somewhat new experience. He put a hand on the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. "You think so?" His voice bordered on embarrassment and slight pride. And when Hinata nodded, he laughed. "Thanks!"

A small bout of silence then started to transcend the duo, who both now concentrated on traversing the terrain, each lost in their own thoughts.

—————————————————————

It was quite a while later that Hinata abruptly stopped in her steps. "Naruto-kun," she gestured down a stream of water, "...this way."

Perturbed at the sudden change in direction, Naruto nevertheless followed. What may seem to be the furthest route from the destination may very well become the closest, as he himself also well knew. Therefore, even after Hinata led him to a steep cliff wall, thundering from top to bottom with an immense waterfall, he was not concerned. Not /too/ concerned anyway. Certainly not enough to start accusing Hinata of getting them both lost, but quite enough to ask some questions of curiosity.

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto called out to the girl, who was leading the way towards the waterfall, "...where're we going?"

The girl glanced back once. "T...The central capital... via the Grand Waterfall..."

"You mean we're gonna have to climb over this huge cliff?" Naruto winced at the thought, allowing his eyes to go up, up, and further up, until he could see the afternoon sun peeking out from over the cliff edge above. He hoped Hinata had a foolproof way of going about doing this.

"Of...of course not!" Hinata, however, was quick to put down that thought. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun, and just follow me. We should reach the central capital in about another fifteen minutes." She pointed at the curtain of waterfall, and said nothing else.

"Please don't tell me we're going to have to walk through the waterfall," Naruto blurted, when the possibility of the situation sank in.

Hinata actually had the courtesy to jump slightly in surprise. "H...How did you know?" She was genuinely interested. "H...have you gone through the... passageway here before?"

"No," Naruto admitted, "but I'm not sure if I want to walk through a thundering waterfall just to see what's on the other side."

By this time, they had walked up the slight slope that ended with a foot-fall on the western edge of what Naruto had termed the 'thundering waterfall'. Up close, the waterfall looked even more fearsome than it sounded. Stealing a glance downwards, Naruto could not help but gulp. The waters fell from the cliff to converge at the bottom in a huge, swirling pit of blue, white, and pitch darkness.

He casually kicked a loose piece of rock towards the edge of the waterfall they were now beholding, watching with slightly raised eyebrows as it disintegrated upon contact with the powerful surges of rushing waves, and vanished into the pits of watery deep beneath. "Yeah," he concluded, "I really think we should find a way to just climb this cliff."

There was a pause, before Naruto's ears were assauged with a strange, soft laughing sound. He peeked cautiously at Hinata, who was the origin of the sound. She was giggling, her shoulders trembling slightly as a result. It was the first time, Naruto realised, that he had seen the brooding girl smile since they started travelling together. "Naruto-kun..." Hinata managed to say amidst giggles, "...you are such an interesting person."

"I am?" Naruto blurted, without really wanting to. He grinned, shrugging it off. "Of course I am! I gotta be the best in everything, after all!" He announced, deciding to treat Hinata's comment as a compliment. "So anyway, yeah. What're you laughing at?" He pouted slightly. "Not me, I hope."

Hinata wisely refrained from directly answering that question. "Naruto-kun," she began, "...if I told you I had escaped from the central capital via the passageway behind this curtain of waterfall, would you still think that you are unable to cross it?"

The blond stared wide-eyed at her for a few tensed seconds. "Wow!" He suddenly exclaimed. "You did! That's so cool!" Naruto continued. "Man, Hinata, you're /definitely/ stronger than I thought you were!" He then turned his eyes away from the girl to glare somewhat happily at the waterfall. "All righty, waterfall, you're on! I won't lose to ya! Watch me pass right through your pathetic sheet of water tha---wargh!"

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried out, reaching forward to catch the boy before he fell right into the swirling pit of water he had been just rather afraid of. Naruto had, in the moments after his heroic declarations towards the waterfall, leapt forward with bravoda and attempted to pass through the thick wall of rushing waters - quite obviously, to no avail.

But much to Hinata's relief, Naruto had already grabbed hold onto the edge of the footpath they were on, firmly. So though he dangled rather precariously off the edge, at least he had an anchor point somewhere on safe ground. Quickly shaking her musings out of her mind, Hinata - with much difficulty, hauled Naruto back onto the footpath.

Once back on firm ground, Naruto toppled onto a heap and heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh man, that was scary," he said, with spooked eyes. "Don't ever trick me like that again, Hinata. I'll be paying for it with my life, you know!"

"Na...Naruto-kun... I...I did say I came out from this passageway, but I didn't say that I went in and out by jumping through the heavy torrents of water..." Hinata's voice was trembled and terrified as she explained. It was almost as if she had been the one hanging off the cliff edge just now, instead of Naruto. "You...you have to use a Jutsu... to control Chakra so that it forms a protection around yourself, before you pass through the waterfall..." She closed her eyes, held her hands together and made the hand seals for the Jutsu she was mentioning.

Before Naruto's eyes, a blueish aura soon began to engulf Hinata, starting from the circular area around her feet. It fully encapsulated her in a translucent, Chakra covering just a few seconds after she activated the seal. Then she opened her eyes and turned to face the waterfall. She passed an outstretched finger through the water wall. The water did not get to touch a single strand of her hair, for it was diverted and separated by the Chakra covering her entire body, thus making a passable path around it. Naruto could only watch on with fascination.

"I never knew Chakra could be used this way before," the blond frankly admitted. Hinata retrieved her hand and stopped the Jutsu.

"It... really is just a ma...matter of Chakra control..." The girl managed to stammer after a while. "Here..." she said softly, while redemonstrating the hand seals she had used. "I...I'm sure you can do it too, if you just put your heart to it..."

The determined frown of Naruto's eyebrows told of how even he would accept nothing less. "You're right!" He leapt to full height and began making the same hand seals he had seen Hinata just make. A whisk of wind drifted up from beneath his feet, as he gathered as much Chakra as he knew he had to encapsulate himself. "I'll break through this waterwall faster than it can travel from top to bottom! Let's see how /grand/ it still is when that happens!"

The gust of wind suddenly sputtered to a standstill, in the instant Naruto finished his declaration. After a while of blinking at each other, Naruto redid his hand seals, and tried once again to muster up the energy. The same thing happened: that Naruto's Chakra flow came to a rather abrupt stop after an initial, seemingly successful conjuration. Unsatisfied with this, Naruto tried again, grinding his teeth when he failed yet one more time.

Before the duo knew it, the narrow footpath of the waterfall cliff soon became an intense training ground for Naruto, as he attempted again and again to emulate what Hinata had previously done, to no avail. Hinata, for her part, could do nothing but watch, and mutter some suggestions to improve on the Jutsu or to stop entirely for the day.

For by the time Naruto had run out of Chakra, it was nearly sunset.

"Na...Naruto-kun..." Hinata tried to get his attention. Naruto was lying spread-eagle on the ground, panting hard. "...I...I caught some fish and I have a fire going, so if you want to... have something to eat and drink..."

"Leave me alone, Hinata," the blond said tersely. "I'm not doing anything until I get this right and get to the other side of this blasted cliff wall."

There was silence.

"I'm sorry," Hinata finally said. "If I hadn't suggested for you to use this route at all, you may have reached the central by now if you--"

"I don't think so," Naruto interrupted Hinata's teary apology, pushing himself upright from the floor. His back was facing Hinata, so she could only use his neutral tone of voice as a measurement of his feelings then. "Sakura-chan said it was a two day's journey from here back. She couldn't have been lying, so it all comes back to the same." He glanced upwards at the unflinching waterfall. "But if I can just clear this obstacle... I'll be able to go save Sasuke..." he let his words trail. "...don't worry about me, Hinata." He pushed himself to his feet. "I'll learn how to control my Chakra by tonight, or my name isn't Uzumaki Naruto!"

"B...But, Naruto-kun..." Hinata protested slightly. "Chakra control... is not something you can learn in one night just because you put your heart into it..." She clenched her eyes shut, when she saw Naruto turning his head in her direction. Nevertheless, she continued, "...Chakra control can only be mastered through many years of molding and shaping Chakra through seals into Jutsu... if...if you force yourself beyond your bodily capacities, then you'll not only be unable to master the Jutsu... you might also never be able to use Chakra aga--"

"Hinata," Naruto interrupted the girl, who meeped and stopped blabbering. She stole a glance at the boy, and saw that he was holding the Sword upright, and was staring at it, rather than at her. "...do you know what it means to be able to pull this thing out from it's sheath?"

A sudden pang of shock jolted through Hinata. She immediately collapsed onto her already weakened knees and bowed low to the ground. "I...I apologise, my Liege!" She stammered, not daring to raise her head up. "It...it was not my motive at all to slight your abilities in any w...way..."

"Okay, stop right there," Naruto held a hand out. "I wasn't asking the question so you can become all mush on me, Hinata," he clarified, beaming widely while he did. "But hell yeah, you /do/ know what the Sword stands for, don't you?"

It seemed like a rhetorical question to Hinata, but when the silence after Naruto's asking stretched for a rather long time, she dared to peek up slightly, and finding Naruto still grinning at her, said in response, "All who have spent enough time in the capital will understand that the True Liege is the only one who can remove the Sword from its sheath..."

"Yup yup," Naruto continued to smile. "That's right! I'm the future King, Hinata," his grin grew, if at all possible, wider. "And future Kings don't give up just because there's some stupid pool of water blocking his way between him and his men!" Without waiting to see Hinata's response, he turned around, sheathing the Sword back. "So don't ask me to give up, or take it easy, Hinata." He started walking off towards the edge of the footpath, where the waterfall was. "I'm getting through this thing. Sasuke's waiting for me on the other side."

Hinata could only watch, as Naruto moved further and further down the path. The last bit of the sun sank into the mountains beyond, plunging the land into complete darkness. It was a long time later, Hinata realised, before she finally got up from kneeling on the ground, staring in the pitch darkness Naruto had last been seen going into. With a slightly sad, resigned look on her face, she turned away and retreated back to the fireplace she had set up.

Naruto may be the True Liege, she thought sadly to herself, but he was still only human. And like all other humans, he had limitations.

/I never should have taught him that Jutsu.../ was the only thought on Hinata's mind as she drifted into a restless slumber that night.

**—————————————————————  
8/6/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd**


	21. Chapter Twenty

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Twenty

Sasuke had quite lost count of how many times Orochimaru had dragged him out of the cell, had him beaten and tortured to find the location of the Sword, before sending him back again. He was quite sure he had not gotten a wink of sleep since being arrested, but that did not surprise him. A criminal of his rank would receive no lighter treatment, he knew from the books he had studied so many years ago, when he was still serving in the Palace. He had never dreamt that he would be at the receiving end one day, but after his life of wandering outside, nothing seemed shocking anymore.

He sighed, trying to lean back against the walls of the cell. He found that the skin on his back hurt from the constant flogging. The palms of his hands were sore and blistered as well. Daring to touch his face, he felt warm liquid flowing down from his cheeks. Again, he sighed.

And his next line of thoughts were as if read out loud by the constable who abruptly threw his cell doors open to let in a massive flood of lights.

"Woah, man," Shikamaru managed, with a good natured smile, "...you look like shit, Sasuke."

Sasuke would have tossed a smart-ass reply right back, if his lips were not as dry and ulcer-ridden as they currently were. He simply looked away, struggling onto his feet as Shikamaru stepped away from the entrance, after he had crouched for a while to release Sasuke from his chains. Slowly, Sasuke limped his way out, wincing as he was blinded momentarily by lights he had not seen for a long time. After a few seconds of disorientation, Sasuke eventually glanced at Shikamaru, waiting for his next instructions.

Seeing this, Shikamaru coughed into his fist. Sasuke noticed that the constable was dressed in official executioner garb, and held a huge spear in his right hand. This indicated that Shikamaru would be accompanying the execution parade all the way to the execution ground, although he was not the appointed executor. Down the distance, he could see Chouji waiting at the entrance of the prison, garbed in a similar set-up.

"You'll be put in the criminal parade 'cage'," Shikamaru's voice tore Sasuke away from his wonderings. "After we parade you around the central capital for a couple of times, you'll be brought into the assembly courtyard of the outer palace. That place is open to the public today, so there'll be a lot of people. Tsunade-sama will be crowned, and she will then execute you in front of the public," the constable paused to think about what he had said. "...that should be your agenda for today. If all goes well, that is," he smiled lazily at Sasuke.

"I'm not afraid to die," Sasuke eventually whispered, after a long bout of silence, which he took to make sure that there was no one else in the region but the three of them. "I don't need to bring anybody down with me."

"Don't worry," Shikamaru shrugged, and brandished a pair of wooden handcuffs, placing them upon Sasuke's shakey hands. "You're not going to be." There was amusement in Shikamaru's tone. Then his face turned serious. His voice hardened, and he started to announce Sasuke's departure from the prison. "Make way! Make way! Death parole criminal coming through the ranks! Clear the path! Clear--!"

His announcement was suddenly caught in his throat. From the entrance where Chouji was last seen standing, came a long, looming shadow. Before Shikamaru could hear the footsteps even, he found that he could no longer feel his voice, numbed with shock from the presence that was soon to be.

The owner of the shadow was before long in clear sight through the doorway. "Orochimaru... sama..." Shikamaru could do nothing but utter with slight daze, paying due respect to the highest ranked military man in the land by bowing his head slightly. In his mind, his thoughts raced. This was certainly unexpected. But it was not something he could not work around. Already, several hundred other alternatives were flashing by his inner thoughts. But his conclusion had to wait until Orochimaru made clear his purpose for the visit first.

He did not have to wait long. The tall, ominous looking man smirked and said, "Hello again, Sasuke-kun. How have you been?"

Sasuke refused to dignify the snake-like man with an answer, choosing instead to look at a nearby maggot crawling on the wall beside him, as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

Orochimaru was nevertheless undaunted. He walked closer, then leaned in towards the uninterested Uchiha and whispered, "...well? Have you straightened your thoughts out yet? Will you tell me where the Prince and the Sword of Jewels is yet? Is that little rural bred boy worth you giving up your life for? He cannot make this land stronger than I can make it, can he?"

Sasuke did not deign to move a muscle on his face. He did not even make any sound of acknowledgement that he heard the questions. Instead, he glanced at Shikamaru, as if leaving his next step to the constable's cue.

/Dammit, Naruto, you and your friends are always giving me so much trouble/ was the only thought on Shikamaru's mind as he sighed internally and bravely spoke up, fashioning his words carefully, "Orochimaru-sama, has this death row prisoner perhaps been pardoned?"

It was not the custom for a mere execution companion constable to question the highest ranked general in the land, so it came as no surprise to Shikamaru when Orochimaru turned his attention to him, and smiled sinisterly. "And why would you be so concerned, constable?"

Shikamaru stood still in attention, with a smart salute. He did not look at Orochimaru in the eye, as it was considered rude to do so to a superior. "Sir, having the highest ranked constable in the land grace the maximum security cell despite all the other things you must be busy with is an honour beyond grace! It would either be to render an even more adverse judgement on the prisoner, or to lift the sentence. Since I can think of no other judgement more adverse than the death parade, surely you must be here to relieve the prisoner."

Young as he were, Shikamaru had spoken his due with such professional ease, that Sasuke was himself appropriately impressed. He stole a glance at Orochimaru, and saw that the man, although smiling, was at an evident loss of words at Shikamaru's clear logic. Served the old snake right!

"There is nothing of that sort," Orochimaru eventually said, shrugging and turning around to exit the prison grounds. "I have merely come to bid the most dangerous man in the entire land, who has slaughtered more of my constable force than any other criminal has, goodbye." He stopped when at the doorway, turning around slightly and curling his lips up into an insincere smile. Sasuke knew this. He could feel this. It was seemingly against his will that he suddenly found himself drawn from where he was previously looking at, towards the face of Orochimaru, half shielded with hair.

"Your death," Orochimaru mouthed, "...will not stop me from getting what I want, Sasuke-kun..."

Leaving that chilling message behind, the snake-like man slithered out into the open, away from the eyes of the duo within.

Sasuke and Shikamaru were rooted to their spots for a long while.

Then Shikamaru sighed, and nudged Sasuke forward by the shoulder. "Move it, prisoner," he said, his voice lacking real punch, "...don't make the whole coronation wait for you."

—————————————————————

Hinata was dreaming.

She was dreaming of many weird things. First, she dreamt of the capital. She was playing in the capital, in the marketplace. Her father was not watching over her like a hawk. She was running. She could hear a loud voice. She could smell chinese noodles. She was warm and happy. Then something appeared and hunted her down. It cast a shadow over her and made her nose red with allergy. No matter how far she ran and how hard she struggled, the shadow remained, and the itch on her nose stayed. Finally, it grew too uncomfortable. She squirmed, winced, and opened her eyes.

The big face of Naruto grinned at her.

As dignified as her upbringing were, all her education had not prepared her for a situation like this, so Hinata knew that she could be forgiven for squawking like a bird and retreating as quickly as she could on all fours backwards until she hit a large tree.

"Good morning, Hinata!" Naruto greeted cheerfully. It was at this point of time that she noticed he held a single, huge pinion in his hands, twirling it about at top speed. "Rise and shine! Come on! We gotta make a move! The sun is going to come out soon!"

Still trying to calm her beating heart, Hinata slowly climbed to her feet, all traces of sleepiness vanished in the moment she woke up to Naruto's grin. Naruto, however, was oblivious. Perhaps he had been waking people up this way all his life.

"B...But Naruto-kun..." Hinata finally said, when she came within hearing distance of the hyperactive blond. She started shifting about uncomfortably and playing with her fingers. "Th...the waterfall is..."

"Is no problem!" Naruto cheerfully interrupted. Hinata wondered how wide her eyes went at that statement. The blond flashed a thumbs-up sign at the girl. "Let's go! I'll show you!" He gestured, already halfway running towards the footpath which led to the edge of the waterfall. "There's nothing Uzumaki Naruto can't conquer!" He shouted into the gradually lightening skies.

That was before he turned the bend and disappeared around the rockface.

"Wa...wait, Naruto-kun..." Hinata stammered, as she hurriedly buried the burnt out wood with sand and gathered her things, together with Naruto's things, and followed in Naruto's lead. She turned the same bend and called out again, "Naruto-kun... wher--!", but was cut short when she beheld the sight that was laid out before her.

There was the familiar gushing sound of the water, falling from the top of the cliff down to its swirling bottom. The mountain still stood, impassable as ever, stoic and firm. The footpath was still battered and chipped towards the part which led closest to the fall, as Naruto had been practicing there all night yesterday.

What was unfamiliar, Hinata realised, was the figure of Naruto, imprinted against the water edge, hands on his hips, making his entire posture proud. That alone was nothing to be fascinated about, Hinata knew. But she simply could not stop staring.

For all around Naruto, to the radius of at least ten feet, whatever water was slated to fall in its natural course upon Naruto's frame instead fell around him in around a translucent, enclosed circle. Hinata did not need to use her Byakugan to know that it was Chakra that Naruto was using to form the shape, thereby keeping the raging waterfall away from himself. She could not help but breath with sudden admiration. "Wow..."

"I know!" Naruto turned back, his face scrunched up in such a huge grin that his eyes became a thin, wrinkled line. "I'm the best, ain't I?" He prompted, and Hinata blushed.

"You...you really are amazing, Naruto-kun," the girl finally managed to stammer after a slight second of hesitation. "...I... I never knew it was possible to learn Chakra control in one... one night..."

"Nothing is impossible with Uzumaki Naruto!" The blond proudly declared. He then held a hand out to Hinata, who was still on the lower slope of the footpath. "Pass your stuff over! I'll carry 'em for you! In the meantime, you might as well start showing me how to walk through this waterwall! I've been wandering around it all night but... can't seem to find the entrance you were talking about!" He put his free hand against the back of his head sheepishly. "Guess I'm just not too good with directions, huh?"

Hinata's reply was to giggle slightly. Realising what she was doing, she quickly put a hand over her mouth and concentrated instead on the matter at hand. She slung the travel packs over her shoulder, refusing to take up Naruto's offer for help, and quickly formed the hand seals for the Chakra control Jutsu. Once she was sure she was entirely protected for the time being from the elements, she stepped forward, hanging upon the fall with leverage on the water that was coming down. She ventured a few steps forward, until she now stood in the middle of the curtain of water. Once she was sure she had a firm foothold on the unsteady water, she turned to greet Naruto with a slight frown of determination in her brows.

"This way, Naruto-kun," Hinata pointed. Then without a word more, she plunged wholly into the watery area of the fall she had been pointing to. Within a second, she was swallowed whole by the gushing waves, no longer within sight.

Naruto gaped in slight surprise. Quickly, and literally, he shook his head violently from side to side, reminding himself that questions could come later.

Now, was the time for action.

In the time it took for him to make a loud splash with his cocoon of Chakra, neither Naruto nor Hinata could be seen or felt in the region anymore.  
****

—————————————————————  
11/6/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	22. Chapter Twenty One

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Twenty-One

After squeezing themselves through a rather tight hole in the cliff wall that was behind the rushing gush of waterfall, Naruto and Hinata arrived at a dim and musty cavern of sorts. The soil there was soft but treadable. Although it took the duo quite a while before their eyes got accustomed to the darkness, when they eventually did, Naruto observed that the cavern was surprisingly wide. He purposely navigated close to one of its arched walls, feeling about it, surprised and yet somewhat not surprised that the walls were made of smooth clay, instead of the loose soil he was stepping on. As he progressively felt along the clay, he came upon something metallic, hanging upon the wall. He groped at the thing for a little while more, making sure it was metallic and not just that his senses were deceiving him.

Once he was sure he had touched an oddity along the wall, Naruto turned to Hinata, who was hovering behind him, slightly worried. "Hinata," he addressed, making the girl jump. "...what's this metal thing hanging on the wall?"

The girl was silent for a while. Then, "I...I'm not sure, Naruto-kun," she stammered, "...I mean, I know what you're ta...talking about - those metal things on the wall... they appear quite regularly along the entire cavern road from here to the central capital... but... I've never... figured out what they are for..."

"Feels like some wall torch to me," Naruto remarked, clasping his hand around what he thought could be the holder. He lifted it experimentally, giving a woot of delight when it budged and was lifted away from its holder. Bringing it closer to himself, Naruto scrutinised the thing a little closer. "Hey, what do you know, it /is/ a torch! 'Cept I have no idea how to light it up..." He thrust the unlit torch to Hinata, who took it out of sheer surprise and reflex.

"I..." Hinata gulped. "...I've never managed to lift this away from its holder, no matter how many times I"ve tried in the past..."

"You were probably just not tall enough," Naruto shrugged, thinking nothing of it. "So this thing's not lightable?" Naruto pointed at the torch Hinata was now holding.

Hinata, at a loss of what to say, merely shook her head. Thereafter, however, it was as if a sudden inspiration hit her. "Oh!" She blurted out, probably before she realised it. When Naruto turned to look at her questioningly, she panicked and accidentally dropped the torch to the ground, putting both her hands over her mouth in embarrassment over her sudden outburst.

Confused, Naruto tilted his head to a side at her. "What're you covering your muth for, Hinata?" He asked. "You went 'oh' because you wanted to tell me something, didn't you? Don't be shy! Just go on and tell me!" Naruto's grin could be seen even through the darkness.

Carefully, Hinata removed her hands from covering her mouth. She looked to a side, and started to play with her fingers. "I...I was just wondering if... if it was possible that only those of true royal blood can use the apparatus contained within this tunnel... since it was built by the First to be a shelter in case of war or disaster..." Pausing to gulp, she then continued, "...it has not been used since the Third Great War, so its existence has likely been forgotten even by the other lieges, since there was no use for it anymore..."

"So you're saying this torch is like the Sword of Jewels," Naruto summarised, as he bent double to pick the fallen torch up, "...only those who has royal blood in them can utilise it?"

Hinata nodded.

"I think that's quite a load of bull," Naruto sighed. "In the first place, how do you light up a fire torch without fire? And /anybody/ can light a fire in a torch, mind you. Does that make everybody someone of royal blood, then? Sheesh," he toyed around with the torch some more, rolling it between his hands. "So do I do it like this?" He jokingly asked. "Rub it between my hands like how I'd put a stick and stone and fire and..." The blond sighed, stopping his actions. "...this is ridiculous. Why am I even considering it? Come on, Hinata, lead the way already!" He dropped the torch and urged the girl on. "I gotta go save Sasuke /now!"

With an unconscious step foward, Naruto stepped on the torch he had just thrown to the ground, just as he made his fiery declaration. He did not trip, but something else more fantastic happened.

That 'something else' being that the plate of the torch was suddenly engulfed by a surge of blue light. Both Naruto and Hinata were stunned into immobility and silence, unable to do anything for the moment but stare at the luminant blue. At almost the same time, they turned to stare at each other, each wanting to know if the other had an answer.

It was Naruto who eventually bent down to pick the burning torch up. He stared at it, the eerie blue glow lighting up his body and a good portion of the area around him. "Did I do that?" He blurted, turning to Hinata in light confusion.

"Ma...maybe?" Hinata was not too sure herself. She clasped her hands together in a familiar seal, initiating the Byakugan. In just one second of observation, she had stumbled upon the truth of the matter. She stopped the Byakugan. "Naruto-kun!" She exclaimed. "The...the torch... it's shining with Chakra...!"

"Chakra?" Naruto could only repeat dumbly. He looked away from Hinata, back at the blue fire torch in his hand that was lighting up the cavern. Holding it out, he saw that the torch, whether it was really lit by Chakra or not, was useful in showing the dim cavern internal. He shrugged. "Oh well, whatever!" His usual fox-grin returned to his face. Pointing forward with the torch, he announced, "All the better for us, isn't it? We can now see better!" Without waiting for Hinata to lead the way, he carried on walking. "Not a moment to lose, Hinata! We're gotta get to the end of the tunnel before coronation, or we're done for!"

"O...okay..." Hinata managed to murmur as she tottered along hurriedly. "The road is rather straightforward... we should reach the end of the tunnel soon. Once out of there, we will be getting out of a tapestry in the middle of an abandoned art gallery in central capital. It...it's about a five minutes walk from there to the Palace, where the coronation and execution will take place, so..."

"It's a straight dash for the exit then," Naruto's voice was powered with emotion and enthusiasm. He did not even wait for Hinata to give the go ahead, racing forward with the torch in his hand as he spoke.

Hinata opened her mouth, meaning to ask for him to wait up, but as Naruto got further and further down the trail, she decided to simply follow quickly. In no time at all, she saw that the light from the torch Naruto was bearing had stopped, indicating that he had either hit a dead end or had found something interesting. She pressed on, catching up soon. "I...Is there something wrong, Naruto-kun?" She asked, slightly confused. Naruto had not stopped at a dead end, but instead, was looking to a side at a bend in the slightly narrower passageway they were now in.

"Hinata, what's this?" Naruto asked, bringing the torch near to the wall that he was peering intensely at. Obligingly, Hinata turned and looked at the area the torch light was now concentrated on. What she saw was nothing out of the ordinary. There was a wall, which was tiled over with the usual clay. It was scratched and slightly chipped with age, but otherwise, there was nothing much worth investigating here.

Turning to Naruto, she shook her head slightly. "I...I don't see anything but a wall, Naruto-kun...?" Feeling slightly courageous, she glanced upwards at the taller teen, jumping slightly when he turned to look at her as well.

"Seriously?" Naruto then proceeded to ask her, once he caught her eye. She nodded meekly. "You don't see this at all?" He then tilted the torch so that the fire fell upon a particular section of the, in Hinata's opinion, empty looking wall. "Like, umm... there's this drawing that looks like some hand seals and... yeah..." he frowned. "...you don't see it?"

The girl looked away from Naruto, glancing upon the wall he was indicating at. She closed her eyes, made a seal, and initiated her Byakugan. After a careful and thorough scrutiny of the wall face, she stopped the Jutsu, turning back to look uneasily at Naruto. "Th...there isn't anything on the wall..." she began, "...but... but there seems to be a large, empty space behind the wall... I... I don't think it's anything important for now, though... are...aren't we in a rush to go for the coronation...?"

Naruto did not answer immediately, his eyes still upon the wall he alleged he could see things on it. Finally, when he broke away from staring at the wall, he said, "Yeah. I guess you're right." Pointing the torch down the only other open path in the tunnel, he started to walk down it. "This way, right? How long more until we reach that tapestry you were talking about?"

"After this bend, it's just a very short while more..." Hinata answered. As if on cue, Naruto's torch found a dead end that was a wall of tiled bricks. He frowned at it for a while, then turned to look at Hinata.

"I see no tapestry," he complained. Hinata suppressed her urge to giggle.

"We have to activate the mechanism first," she kindly informed. Without waiting for the go-ahead, she walked up to the wall face and pressed started to examine it, counting silently under her breath the number of tiles from the right. In the moment she found the tile she was looking for, she stepped forward and gave it a hard push. The tile budged, sinking back into the wall after making a harsh, grumbling sound. After that, an even louder groaning sound started to shake the passageway. Right before Naruto's amazed eyes, the tiled wall began to raise itself whole from the ground.

Behind it, was another wall. But there was a rectangular shaped doorway of sorts in the middle of that wall. Something covered it from the other side. Without needing to ask, Naruto already knew what it had to be.

"Th...that's the tapestry, Naruto-kun." Hinata whispered. This was the most crucial part of their escapade, after all. She gestured at the boy, who nodded and attempted to put the Chakra flame of the torch out by stubbing it against the ground. It did not work. Miffed, Naruto simply flung it against a corner of the tunnel. It landed against the floor and rolled to a stop when it hit the wall, but it did not stop burning. Figuring he would simply leave it there, Naruto then followed Hinata towards where the tapestry-covered doorway was.

"So we just step out, huh?" Naruto asked, when Hinata had frozen on the spot for a very long time, staring at the underside of the tapestry. Hinata gulped and nodded.

"Bu...but... I can feel someone... on the other side..." Hinata stammered, then bit her lower lip. "Ma...maybe we should wait for a while until the person go...goes away... or at least..."

"No," Naruto asserted, his brows frowned against each other. He took a step towards the tapestry despite Hinata's warning. With a hand outstretched, he positioned himself so that he was ready to flick the tapestry away and step into the open at any time. "This is the only way out, right? Then there's no turning back. I don't care who's out there now. I'm getting out and I'm getting to Sasuke. No one's gonna stop me," his final sentence said, he pushed the tapestry away, to reveal the interior of the abandoned art gallery Hinata had mentioned.

It was rather dark in the gallery, although it was still morning. The blocked up windows and doors let in little light, and the messy state of the wooden flooring, as well as the rusty metal candle holders told a tale of a building, forgotten in time.

In the middle of the decrepit main hall, sat a busty, blond lady, urn upon urn of wine, some finished and others yet to be, gathered around her crossed legs. She had noticed Naruto and Hinata's sudden entrance, for Naruto had caught her eye when he stepped out from the tunnel. But the lady ignored them, choosing to empty the next cup of wine into her mouth instead.

Naruto stared at the sight before him, confused. The lady was dressed in some very official looking garbs, and here were two intruders upon the place who more than probably did not belong, yet she did nothing to stop them, or at least shout at them. 'Is the wine really so delicious?', he was about to ask, when Hinata slipped dramatically and fell to her feet beside him.

"Hinata?" Naruto said, his tone questioning. But the girl was much too petrified to notice the intrigue in his voice. The lady also finished her current cup of wine and tilted her head back the right way, sighing at the drink in her throat. As if in a trance Hinata brought both her trembling hands to her lips, placing them barely above them. "Hinata, what's wrong?" Naruto pressed on, starting to feel worried.

"Tsu..." Hinata finally managed to mumble, her voice quaking with evident fear. "... Tsunade-sama...!"

The lady in the gallery, Tsunade was her apparent name, paused in the middle of pouring out another cup of wine for herself. She lifted pale, inebriated eyes up to finally regard the duo who had just barged into the hall, and she scoffed through her nose. "Hah," she said, "...even in this godforsaken place people know my name?" She downed the freshly poured cup of wine quickly, before continuing, "Looks like there's literally nowhere safe for me to hide in now, huh?"

Hinata kept silent, trembling, unable to speak. Whereas Naruto stared with open-eyed surprise, at the lady who did not deny the namesake that was given her.

"Tsunade..." The blond repeated, his glance at the lady neutral. He then put two fingers to his chin and frowned almost comically. "Hey... I've heard that name before... somewhere! Now if I can only just remember where..."

Unsure of whether he was joking or not, Hinata laughed nervously under her breath. But she no longer felt nervous for herself. Instead she was now nervous for Naruto and his unbending mouth. She tried to tug at Naruto's shoe, hoping he would notice her and stop speaking things that would offend the monarch to be crowned, but to no avail. Naruto was too deep in his own thoughts to be paying any real attention to what was around him now.

Tsunade, on the other hand, stared long and hard at Naruto, her face etched with a frown so deep, it threatened to knit her brows into perpetual oneness. "Boy," she suddenly spoke out, a boom in her voice, and this quickly caught Naruto's attention. "...you don't know who I am?"

The air of forebodance was so strong that Hinata felt her knees going doubly weak again. She looked desperately at Naruto, willing him not to speak anything that would displease the person who would have all the authority in the world if the coronation went successfully.

But Hinata's pleading stares were useless. Naruto, after a long bout of thoughtful silence, broke into a grin that rivalled the sun. "Nope!" He said, very cheerily. "I think I've heard it somewhere before but I don't remember! And if I don't remember, it's probably not important, so... yeah!" He laughed, almost sheepishly. "Who are you?" He inquired, earnest and sincere.

Tsunade's brow became even more furrowed. "You really don't know who I am?" She pressed on, her voice boiling with a silent kind of rage and threat.

"How many time do you want me to repeat myself, Tsunade-baba?" Naruto was now slightly angered too. "I don't know and frankly, I don't care!" He declared, much to Hinata's chagrin. "Anyway, I gotta go now, Tsunade-baba, so yeah, have a nice drink or something," Naruto bent slightly to attempt to haul Hinata back onto her feet by her shoulders. "Come on, Hinata, we gotta go before they /really/ execute Sasuke!"

It was as if Tsunade was suddenly hit by a spell, when Naruto spoke Sasuke's name out. Her eyes glint with sudden lucidity and she asked out loud, "You over there, what's your name?"

In the midst of pulling Hinata to her feet, Naruto turned slightly and replied, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" He threw in a grin. "Remember that name! You might need it one day!"

"Naruto, huh..." Tsunade mumbled, setting her cup aside and sitting up slightly straighter than usual. "Naruto. I'll ask you one last time. Do you know who I am?"

Hinata was by now standing by her own feet, so Naruto turned around and faced Tsunade, a sour look on his face. "You're Tsunade-baba! I just got to know that. Who else can you be?"

A slight smirk quirked the corners of Tsunade's lips upwards. "And if I told you I am your future monarch?"

Hinata nearly jumped out of her skin, whereas Naruto smiled knowingly and seriously at Tsunade's question.

"That can't be," Naruto beamed, no hesitation in his voice. "Because /I/ am your future monarch!"

Tsunade's face darkened momentarily. Hinata was tugging at Naruto's sleeve, trying to get him to at least stop grinning and start thinking about what he was saying. Her desperate tuggings stopped, however, when Tsunade suddenly broke into a soft snigger. The snigger then transformed into hearty laughter, which was accompanied by heavy slapping of the already broken wooden flooring, resulting in the upheaval of much dust and broken urn bits.

"Good one!" Tsunade laughed so hard, her eyes welled with tears. "That's a good one! Here I am, walled up in this old and torn building, trying to decide whether or not I should show up for that stupid coronation, and in comes a little rut who tells me /he/ is going to help me make a decision! Very good!"

She ended her frenzied tirade with a grand slap against the floorboards directly in front of her crossed legs. "Boy!" Tsunade called out, loud and domineering. Naruto took a mental step backwards, stunned by Tsunade's sudden outburst. "Want to have a bet with me?" She continued, smiling from ear to ear.

"I don't have time for-"

"You do, and you will," Tsunade cut Naruto's protest short. From within one of her volumous sleeves, she withdrew two die, each with six sides. "Because we're staking on this kingdom," she took off the necklace that had been hanging by her neck all this while. "...and every thing that is in it." She smiled at the slightly confused Naruto. "Well, Naruto? Not man enough to even have a little bet with an old woman?"

This seemed to push the right buttons on Naruto. He bristled, then stalked forward and sat down with aplomp directly in front of Tsunade. His eyes burned with a fiery determination. "I don't get what in the world you're talking about," he said, "...but if I don't play along, you're not going to let us out of this place through the front door, are you?" He questioned.

Tsunade's smile grew wider. "Bingo!" She yelled, a slight tinge of red on her cheeks indicating that she was still not yet completely sober. "Come on! This necklace is the beacon of authority in the entire Palace! With it nobody will dare question you no matter what you ask of them!" She laughed loudly, at a joke only she herself was privy to. Turning a lazy eye at Naruto, she invited, "Well, future monarch? What have /you/ got to stake with me about the authority of the land, hmm?"

"Stop talking as if you already own the land or something!" Naruto grumbled loudly, lifting the concealed Sword of Jewels out from his belt and placing it down with a loud clank. "I'll give you this sword if you win, stupid old woman!" He growled. Grabbing the hilt of the sword, he wrenched the blade out of its hilt with a loud, shrill metallic sound. He held the semi-translucent blade near his face, and grinned through the swirling colours. "Not that I think you can even pull it out of the sheath if you wanted, but you're on!"

Tsunade was wide-eyed with surprise for a second. It was her first time seeing the Sword of Jewels up close, after all. She then snorted that away, throwing the dice into the air and catching them with an empty wine urn. With a wicked grin, she slammed the urn onto the ground.

"Odd?" Tsunade simpered. "Or even?"  
****

—————————————————————  
11/6/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Twenty-Two

From behind Naruto, Hinata could see beads of cold sweat roll down from his temple to his cheeks. It was as if the significance of him staking the Sword of Jewels over a mere dice match had finally just sunk down into him. Quietly, Hinata made the hand seals for the Byakugan. If she could just see through that urn, she could help Naruto win this by telling him what was in there, and all would not be lost.

She readied herself, about to put the final force of Chakra into action when Tsunade's loud, shrill voice froze her in mid action.

"That Hyuuga over there," Tsunade announced, daring a sidelong glance at the frightened Hinata. "...if you dare use any tricks to help the boy in this gamble, this disgraceful act of cunning will without fail reach your father's ears!"

Hinata immediately stopped her Jutsu and fell to her knees weakly. "I... I'm sorry!" She stammered, her voice pleading and trembling. "I... didn't mean to..."

"Leave her out of this, old hag," Naruto declared with bravoda. A tick appeared on Tsunade's forehead, and she used a free foot to stomp on Naruto's cheek.

"Who the hell are you calling an old hag, you little yellow baby just out of the womb!" She screeched. Amazingly, her right hand still held firmly onto the urn that was covering the die she had thrown. She gave Naruto another good kick upside the jaw. "Say that one more time and we'll see if you even have a mouth anymore to place a bet with me/boy!"

"Okay, okay!" Naruto wildly tried to push Tsunade's foot away from his face, but to no avail. The older lady had a strong grip on him with her toes. "AARGH! Get your stupid smelly foot off my mouth already! I can't breath!"

Tsunade did not take her foot off, only smirking wider. "Odd or even?" She asked coolly, while Naruto flailed about in a frenzy.

"AARGH!" Naruto finally screeched. "Even! Even!" He randomly chose a side to stick to, just so he could get Tsuande to remove her foot from his face. Hinata gasped softly at his thoughtless decision, whereas Tsunade immediately took her foot away and stomped it back down on the ground, laughing with glee.

"Impudent boy!" The older lady cried out, her aura bursting out like a gambler who knew his cards would win the table. "I'll show you the power of the /real/ ruler of this damned kingdom with this just one game," she lifted the urn up with much drama, "...and lower you down to your proper position, peasant!" The urn was completely lifted by now, and the two die came within clear scrutiny of the trio in the room.

Naruto stared.

Hinata stared.

Tsunade stared.

And was the first to speak, after slapping her forehead loudly.

"Damn!" She groaned, her burst of strength bursting the urn she had been gripping tightly in her excitement into pieces. She released the fragments onto the ground, shaking her unhurt hand free from the smaller bits, much to Naruto's gaped-jaw amazement. "You got it made out for you, boy," Tsunade glanced at Naruto, smiling pleasantly, making his hair suddenly stand on ends. What happened to the semi-crazy drunkard who had been stomping him with a smelly foot just now!

Ignoring his expression, Tsunade continued, "I've never won any bets before, and I didn't think I was going to start with you anyway!" Her smile turned into an almost silly-looking grin. "Well done, Naruto! I'll certify that you've got the guts and what it takes to lead this dying kingdom!" She descended into fits of laughing, and it did not seem like she would stop any time soon.

"Tsunade-baba..." Naruto was unsure of what to think about the sudden change in situation. He glanced slightly at Hinata, wondering if she had any answers. The girl herself was staring at Tsunade with a look of utter confusion on her face as well, so Naruto concluded that she knew no better than he did. It was only when Tsunade's laughter started to fade did Naruto turn his attention back to her.

Tsunade cleared her throat, putting her hands on the necklace she had staked, as well as the naked sword Naruto had put down. "Go on, boy," she pushed the things towards him. "These are yours from now on."

"Yeah, the sword is," Naruto agreed, picking the Sword up and quickly putting it back into its sheath. "...but that necklace is yours. I don't want it."

This made Tsunade growl and frown. She grabbed the accessory by the chain in one hand and yanked Naruto closer by another. "I said, 'take it', stupid boy..." the dark tone of her voice made Naruto gulp instinctively. "...which part of 'take the damned thing' do you not understand, Naruto?"

To both Naruto and Tsunade's surprise, it was Hinata who now spoke up. With a trembling voice, still evidently streaked with certain fear, she asked, "B...But Tsunade-sama... i...is that necklace not an inheritance from your grandfather, the... the First...?" She took a pause to gulp, as Naruto and Tsunade were staring at her by now. "W...without it as your signature of authority the... the elders would never allow you to... ascend the throne..."

"It doesn't matter," Tsunade reclined slightly into herself, placing her palms on her crossed legs. "I've just lost the right to the throne to Naruto anyway," she shrugged. "What is the necklace in front of the unsheathed Sword of Jewels anyway?" She chuckled. "Absolutely nothing! Nothing can go up against the Sword!"

"What are you gals talking about?" Naruto alternated his glance between Hinata and Tsunade. "What's this about ascending the throne with some stupid necklace from the First?"

"Na...Naruto-kun!" Hinata's voice must have raised by a pitch. She was shaking her head and her eyes were clenched tightly shut. "P...Please stop talking about Tsunade-sama and the First in such a way!"

"What's wrong with the both of you?" Naruto, in turn, was growing slightly angry the situation. It seemed as if he was missing out on a really big secret here. "If you don't tell me I won't be able to get it! Who do you think I am, some mind-reader!"

"You're really such a twit," Tsunade cut in, when Hinata could not find a reply even after a rather long pause. She took the necklace, stood, walked over to Naruto, and draped it over his shoulders, before he could protest or lift a finger to struggle. "This is the necklace of authority of your great ancestor, the First monarch of this land, which is given to the next monarch to be on coronation day as a sign of authority," she placed a palm over the gleaming pendant and pressed it against Naruto's chest. "...you are the progeny of the Fourth, aren't you?" Her voice was soft. As soft as her smile was. "Your father would have wanted you to have this."

"My... father?" Naruto blinked with wide, earnest eyes. Tsunade removed her hand from over the pendant, looking down at him from her advantage in height. "You... you knew him?"

"He was a great king," Tsunade beamed at Naruto. "...as you also will be!"

The blond teen stared at her for a moment further. "Somehow," he said, his eyes still brimming with earnest innocence, "...it feels like you're trying to run away from something."

Tsunade's lips snapped back into a thin, straight line. Her eyes were hooded with something akin to dark amusement. It clearly said, though not with a voice, 'Explain'.

"I think I can more or less get what's going on now," Naruto spoke again, glancing upwards and looking at Tsunade in the eye, unafraid. "You're Tsunade, the person they were advertising on posters all over the land who's going to be crowned today, right?"

Tsunade said nothing.

"If you weren't resolute about your position in the first place," Naruto continued, assuming his conclusion to be true, "...why did you agree to do it?"

"Na...Naruto-kun..." Hinata came in, fumbling with her words. "...the...there are a lot of reasons why... why there has to be a monarch by today... and why the Palace chose Tsunade-sama... it... it's not something she could... could have decided by herself..."

"That's crap!" Naruto lashed out, more at the idea than at Hinata, but the girl bowed and apologised profusely all the same. Already used to Hinata's behaviour, Naruto turned back to Tsunade and continued, "What's this? You're becoming the monarch just because some old geezers in oversized robes asked you to? You're going to choose for thousands of people from all across this land because you didn't have a chance to do it for yourself! Don't make me laugh!" Naruto's eyes had darkened from a light cyan to an intense shade of navy. "In that case, it would be better if you just let Orochimaru usurp the throne before you even ascend it!"

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed in shock.

"You just stand there and keep quiet, Hinata!" Naruto pointed at the girl, not pausing to take in her reaction to his statement, but immediately returning his attention to Tsunade. "At least I'm sure Orochimaru /knows/ where he wants to take this people!" He pointed at Tsunade this time. "Exactly /where/ he wants to aside, he at least makes decisions for himself without needing to listen to what /anybody/ else says!" Naruto swiped his hand across the area in front of him dramatically, his teeth grit together in fury. "Not you!"

Tsunade's countenance had remained neutral all the while Naruto had been ranting. Now that he seemed done, however, she lifted her hand to clasp the back of her head and sighed. "The son of the Fourth, siding with Orochimaru, huh..."

"No!" Naruto immediately denied. "I hate him!" He declared. "Orochimaru destroyed Sasuke's life and hunted Iruka-sensei down like a criminal! No /words/ can describe how much I hate that slimey man!" He then calmed down suddenly, looking at his feet instead of defiantly up at Tsunade this time. "That's why..." he muttered, "...that's why I brought him up... because if you just had a bit more willpower, Tsunade-baba..." Naruto frowned. "...you'll be a much better ruler than him... much, much better! Not that I'm gonna let him take over the throne any time soon, though!"

Tsunade actually smiled. "Hinata is right," she pointed out. "There are a lot of things that goes on behind the scenes that you're not aware of, so your opinions in this matter don't count!" She firmly asserted.

"I--"

"But you are also right," the blond woman continued, her hands on her waist and her eyelids lightly shuttered over her irises wistfully. "A ruler with no mind of her own is worst than a tyrant with a clear direction where he's going."

Naruto blinked once at her. Slowly, his grin started to stretch from ear to ear.

"But that does NOT give you the right to shout at your elders!" Tsunade's tone suddenly became scolding and loud. She put a hand over Naruto's head, clamping it tightly so that no amount of struggling could free him from her grasp. "I change my mind, ya little rut," her smile grew evil and her fangs shone against whatever little light there was in the room. "I'll take over the throne today after all and we'll see what you can do to me about it, huh!"

"Hey!" Naruto protested, thrashing about wildly. "You can't do that!" He grabbed the pendant around his neck and brought it up so that Tsunade could see it. "You don't have your sign or authority or whatever it is you need to ascend the throne!"

"Neither does that snake Orochimaru, and I don't see that stopping him from anything?" Tsunade asked casually.

"I don't care!" Naruto screeched. "You lost your bet and you should be giving it up and who cares what you--"

"Tsunade...!" A new, muffled voice came from outside the gallery, accompanied by two firm, solid pounds on the barricaded doors of the place. "You're hiding in there, aren't you?" The voice belonged to someone who sounded rather elderly and frustrated. "Stop running around and hiding, Tsunade, and come out! The whole nation is waiting for you!"

Tsunade immediately let Naruto go, pushing him backwards so that he fell against the wall by the tapestry he had come out from. Hinata was by his side in an instant, asking him if he was all right and if he needed help.

"Go, boy," Tsunade's tone was suddenly serious, stripped of all the playfulness it had just now. "If Jiraiya is here, he will have with him at least a legion of Vanguards as his escorts. They won't let you get away scot-free from this place. You'll be arrested, the Sword taken away from you, and that will be that."

"Bu...but... this is the only place we can use to get to the Palace before the coronation... so please Tsunade-sama, help Naruto-kun to get to the Palace without harm..." Hinata let her sentence trail at the end when she noticed both Naruto and Tsunade staring at her disapprovingly. "...sorry!"

"Naruto," Tsunade then directed her attention to the blond boy, who glanced at her questioningly. "You said you have the right to be the true liege, don't you?" She smiled, and there was a challenge hidden behind it, Naruto could tell. "You have a mind of your own, don't you? Then find your way to the Palace to stop the coronation without my help." She grinned. "If you don't, then this country will be taken over by a weak-minded ruler who can't even make her own decisions! That would be terrible, wouldn't it?" She gasped in fake shock. "Even more terrible than Orochimaru!"

"Tsunade!" The muffled voice from outside started to sound more urgent. "Do you want me to break the door down!"

"You do that, Jiraiya, and you pay for the door!" Tsunade finally shouted back out. This silenced the man outside for a while. Tsunade then spoke, much softer, to Naruto. "Go now, unless you want to be caught!"

Naruto frowned. Then he nodded. Tugging Hinata by her shoulder, he flipped the tapestry aside and vanished back into the tunnel just at the precise moment Jiraiya broke through the gallery door with a Rasengan, his Chakra still swirling about in his exposed palm.

"I thought we were already through with the running and hiding back in the Palace," he said, immediately upon catching Tsunade's eye. "I don't want to hear that you have a last minute change of mind."

Tsunade had her back against him, so he did not notice until she turned around to grin at him, that the necklace of authority no longer hung around her neck.

"Tsunade!" Jiraiya's eyes went saucer-wide. "Where is the necklace of authority? What is the meaning of this!"

Tsunade pointed to the two die still lying on the ground. "I lost it in a bet to a foul-mouthed little fox."

"Have you gone mad, Tsunade!" Jiraiya roared, and the Vanguards around him took reflexive steps backwards. "You lost your kingdom to a fox!"

"My kingdom?" Tsunade scoffed, tapping her foot against the ground. "The kingdom that /you/ forced me to oversee, Jiraiya!" She righted herself, kicked a couple of urns that were in her way aside, and walked towards the gaping hole that used to be the barricaded door. "All right! To the coronation! And to hell with the necklace of authority! I guarantee you you'll see something of higher authority than that necklace before the coronation ceremony even ends!" Leaving this bold declaration behind, she stepped away from the darkness of the hut and out into the procession of Vanguards.

Just as she was at the threshold of the doorway, though, she turned back to glance at the confused Jiraiya from the corner of her eyes. "The fox who won my kingdom," she mouthed, so that only Jiraiya could make out her words, "...had nine tails."

After that she turned to walk out into the open proper, while Jiraiya remained stunned for a few seconds. Thereafter, the man smiled knowingly to himself, only that one step short of laughing out loud at the revelation. "If that is true, Tsunade," he cried out, "then I certainly owe you a treat to the gambling den!"

"I'm holding you up to that, Jiraiya!" ...was the last thing Naruto and Hinata could hear from their frozen positions behind the thick tapestry tunnel, before they were plunged into sudden silence again.

"Come on, Hinata," Naruto beckoned, when he felt that it was safe to speak out loud. He was already heading back to the tunnel they had come from.

"I know of a faster way into the Palace than through that stuffy gallery!"  
****

—————————————————————  
14/6/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Twenty-Three

"Th...the wall?" Hinata's slightly incredulous voice echoed through the darkness of the tunnel.

"Yup!" Naruto pointed a Chakra-lit torch towards the wall he had previously mentioned that there were drawings on. "We'll go through here! Trust me! We'll be in the palace faster than you can even blink!"

"Bu...But Naruto-kun..." Hinata protested, feeling over the smooth, flawless wall in the meantime. "...th...there may be a hollow space behind the wall but... h...how are we going to break through the wall to get there...?" Her apparent examination of the barricade over, she turned to glance nervously at Naruto. "I...I don't think it's something a sword slash or two can overcome..."

"You worry too much, Hinata!" Naruto withdrew his sword anyway, passing the torch to her and holding the handle of his weapon with both hands. "Just stand back and watch, okay?" He instructed, still with a wide grin on his face.

Hinata opened her mouth to want to say something, but decided that she would simply go along with the boy. She stood back as told, holding the torch out so that Naruto could see what was in front of him.

The blond was not paying attention to what she was doing at all, it seemed, as long as she was out of the way. He held the Sword up to his chest level, staring intensely at the area of the wall that was before him. In the next instant, he had formed a series of hand seals so quickly - with the Sword wedged in between his hands - that Hinata's jaw came loose from surprise. Being a Princess from the court of the Hyuuga, she had seen all kinds of seals, from all over the land, with varying speed - some very fast and some very slow. But never had she seen a seal of such complexity done with such great speed before. The series of seals used were also in a pattern she had never known to have existed.

Even after Naruto was done, she was still staring in awe. It was not until the Sword of Jewels began glowing with such an intense, bright blue light that she snapped away from her thoughts and back to reality. From what she observed, even Naruto himself seemed surprised and amused at the results of his Jutsu. "How..." Hinata could not help but wonder aloud, "...how did you do that?"

"Don't know!" Naruto cheerily replied, pointing the brightened Sword at the wall. "I just followed the pictures on the wall!"

Hinata could ask no further, for the tip of Naruto's sword now touched the - in Hinata's opinion - pictureless wall. In that very moment, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck down on the narrow tunnel, brightening it with an almost offending white. Hinata could do nothing but conceal her eyes from the piercing light. When the lights apparently dimmed to an acceptable degree, she removed her arms from around her face. She still had to squint, for it was still quiet bright in the tunnel. There was, however, one marked difference from what she had been seeing before the light interfered with her vision.

Without a sound, without a sight, the smooth, thick wall that was originally there, blocking their way to the hollow room beyond now vanished into nothingness. It was as if it had never been there in the first place.

Hinata gasped.

"The wall was an illusion!" She exclaimed, in the manner of someone who had just stumbled upon a great revelation. "B...but how come I was not able to see anything wrong about it..."

She stopped, because Naruto had resheathed his Sword loudly, grabbing her attention from her mumblings. The blond turned and regarded her with a smile. "I told you!" He proudly declared. Beckoning at the lost girl, he invited, "Let's hurry!"

Despite knowing that this was a new path which she had never taken before; against all threads of logic going on in her mind about the possible dangers that laid ahead in this unknown road, Hinata swallowed down every fear and hesitation she had in her mind, taking a brave, determinted step forward, following in the footsteps of the smiling Naruto.

Somehow, with Naruto, everything just seemed right.

Somehow, with Naruto, no untrodden path seemed too dangerous.

After the duo disappeared into the darkness beyond, the area where the wall was shimmered. It started becoming translucent. Slowly, it became opaque. Finally, the wall stood in the area once again, impenetrable and foreboding, as if it had always been there.

As if no one had passed by it before.

—————————————————————

They eventually emerged from an old, abandoned well in a rather lonely corner of the Palace courtyard. This was a fact that surprised Hinata, for she had thought that at best, the new tunnel would them somewhere near the Palace, and not directly into the Palace itself. After ascertaining that it really was the Palace courtyards they were in, the duo retreated back into the bottom of the dry well, at the request of Hinata. Once there, Naruto tapped Hinata by a shoulder and asked, "What is it?"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata spoke in a whisper of a voice that was even softer than her usual murmurs. "...we are in the Palace courtyards!"

"Yeah, I told you didn't I?" Naruto, however, did not seem surprised at all. "Told you that door'll get us to where we wanted to go!"

Caught slightly off-guard by the unexpected reply, Hinata shook her head to try to get herself back on track. "I...I meant," she stuttered, eyes darting from side to side, "...that we're in the Palace... and that means that the security here will be very ti...tight! We...we have to be extra careful when moving around..."

"Whatever!" Naruto threw his hands up in the air. "I just wanna get to that coronation place so I can stop them from killing Sasuke! If you know the Palace so well, then you better--"

"Is it just me or do you hear something from the bottom of this well?" A muffled, near-yet-far voice forced both Naruto and Hinata to suddenly freeze and stare at each other. With a rapidly beating heart and much fear, Naruto managed to indicate to Hinata to press as close against the moss-covered, bedarkened bricked wall of the inner well as possible.

And just in time too, for as soon as they separated to slink to their own sides of the wall, a dark, looming shadow plunged into the depths of the well. A bedarkened figure leaned over the mouth of it, looking down into the darkness within.

"Are you nuts? That well's dried up for /decades/. You probably just heard some crickets. Now come on! I don't want to miss the coronation because of a couple of insects, you know!"

"Hmm..." the other guard was nevertheless suspicious. "But they didn't sound like crickets..."

Naruto was now holding his breath so hard, he knew his face must have been blue with breathlessness. The morning sun was slowly rising to the zenith of the sky. While it was still slightly shadowy at the bottom where Naruto and Hinata were hiding, it would soon become as clear as day to any who were watching, once the sun shifted positions. This was worrying. The blond tried to exercise his willpower, so that the guard would overlook the well and the fact that his open-toed sandal could already be seen, basking in the rays of the sun.

And it seemed to work.

"Ah well," the guard scooted away, his shadow no longer falling over the well. "No one dangerous could have come /so/ deep into the Palace courtyard without being noticed by /someone/ already, I guess!" The rustling of boots against sand and grass could be heard, followed by a muffled exchange of words between the two guards. Soon, no noise could be heard at all from the outside. Naruto and Hinata exchanged a cautious glance. Then Hinata quickly summoned the Byakugan.

After a nervous second of tensed scrutiny, she relaxed all the muscles in her body, sighing with relief. "They're all gone, Naruto-kun..." Hinata spoke out in her normal volume. Naruto too, heaved a sigh of relief.

"Okay, let's climb out and find somewhere to hide before anybody else comes here," the blond nodded to Hinata. With a burst of Chakra, the duo then quickly made their ways out of the well by scaling the walls. Once out, they darted behind a nearby trunk of a huge tree. At Naruto's direction, they then headed up the trunk, hiding into the leafy canopy of the sturdy tree. Sitting themselves on a thick branch, Naruto and Hinata finally stopped their minor escapade and took a pause to figure out what they would do from now on.

"This is so exciting," Naruto remarked with a goofy grin, running a hand through his messy mane. He lifted a few leaves from his view and exclaimed, "Hey look, Hinata!" This wsa accompanied with frantic pointing. "We can see the entire capital from here! Look! Look!"

Hinata quickly nodded, and lifted the few leaves that were in her eyes. What she saw merely confirmed Naruto's excitement to be true and nowhere exaggerated.

The entire capital could be seen from their vantage point of view. It stretched across the land and out into the horizon, softly glinting in the warm glow of the morning sun. Every road, every building, from the smallest to the largest, was in plain sight. As the Palace was situated atop a high hill in the centre of central capital, it itself was in a good geographical location for observing such a sight. However, this sight could only usually be observed from the turrets of the highest towers. From the courtyards, as it was covered by high walls, such a sight was really quite impossible. It was only because the duo had scaled the tall tree which peeked over the walls that they could behold the sight.

As if on cue, a gentle wind came, enwrapping the duo in a soft, relaxing caress. Hinata's eyes became hooded, as she glanced on at the kingdom beneath her. It was not that she did not like what she see. Rather, it was the fact that she had never seen it before despite her constant visits to the Palace that made her ashamed. By all counts, she should be playing host to Naruto, who was at the capital for the first time probably since his birth. Yet instead it was as if the boy was leading her around, showing her the true sights of the place instead.

There was no time to ponder about this further, however. A trumpet blast from the main road of the capital nearest to where Naruto and Hinata were sounded out, and a huge procession of people began to filter into the previously empty street from the one adjacent to it. There were children, young ones, adults and old people. This was followed by a swarm of guards and constables, dressed in official executional garb. They did their usual thing, clearing a path and shooing curious gawkers away. When the crowd solidified and there was a large, clear area in the middle of the road, the main person of the parade entered into the procession on this street proper.

Naruto's eyes, previously bordering on slight curiosity and mild disinterest, widened immediately. "Sasuke!" He breathed, in a voice that was paralysed by shock and surprise.

And it was indeed Sasuke, who was being paraded through the streets of the capital like the common criminal he had been branded to be. He was seated in a wooden, squarish cage which had bars on all four sides, but was capped on the top and the bottom. On the top, there was a hole, which Sasuke's head was locked out from. Although the rest of his body was in the cage, he was not let off easily. His hands and foot were bound in fetters which could be seen through the wooden bars. The cage was seated atop a grass cart, which was pulled along by two bulls and at an excruciatingly slow speed. There were traces of abuse evident on his exposed skin, which were mainly his face and his bare soles.

As Naruto watched on, the procession reached the area of the street that was directly under the tree he was on. It was at this point of time that the jeering of the crowd became unbearable and rowdy. At first, there was nothing much, but that - noise. But soon, there came to be a flurry. It started when someone from within the crowd - Naruto could not tell who - threw an egg at Sasuke, which missed and splattered all across the bars of the cage instead. But that was merely the forerunner. Soon after that, it was as if the crowd was seized with a frenzy, each grabbing whatever he or she could get their hands on, and flinging it at the defenceless Sasuke, who took it all in his stride, not batting a single eyelid at the offenders, neither raising his lowered head to glare at them in hatred.

His apparent submissiveness merely inflamed the frenzied crowd, who started to throw more and more things, more and more quickly. Naruto could feel his blood rising to his head, boiling with rage. "What the hell do they think they're doing!" He shouted, but his voice was lost in the cheers and rioting. Hinata, however, heard him loud and clear. "Sasuke! Why aren't you retaliating! Sasuke!" By this time, Naruto was already halfway out of the tree, as if ready to leap out and land onto the streets anytime, saving Sasuke from this needless humiliation. Hinata quickly grabbed onto the sleeve of his shirt, snapping him away from his anger.

"Naruto-kun!" The girl shook her head desperately. "What do you think you're doing!"

"What does it look like I think I'm doing!" Naruto shrugged the girl's hand off, his fury apparent. "I'm gonna go down and show 'em all that nobody messes with Uzumaki Naruto's friends and gets away with it!"

To his surprise, Hinata reached forward and grabbed his sleeve again. Being shy and unassertive, it was an unprecedented action by her to be so tenacious. With eyes half set in determination and half endowed with hesitation, she quickly said, "Don't, Naruto-kun!" Her voice was almost lost along with the jeerings of the crowd. "If you go out now, Orochimaru will be sure to capture you... and that will be the end!"

"Does it look like I care?" Naruto growled in her face. "How can I be a good king if I can't even protect the ones nearest to me! Sasuke's always been watching out for me! How can I just stand by and watch people throw eggs at him and not even go down there to help! That's something /Orochimaru/ would do, not Uzumaki Naruto! So stay out of this, Hinata!" He shrugged her hand off again, rougher this time. "Don't stand in my way!"

"I...I cannot!" Hinata exclaimed, in what must have been the loudest voice she had used on Naruto since meeting him. "I request that you clear your mind and have second thoughts, my liege!" She declared with sudden official, much to Naruto's surprise. "Sasuke-sama is not in the death parade because he wants to, Naruto-sama! Do you know why he is enduring such great pain, making such a great sacrifice and bearing up with such a great humiliation, my king?" She asked, her voice infused with passion and her eyes burning with belief.

"Is it not because he wishes you to ascend the throne, and with that authority, rescue him from out of his eternal sentence? Please I beg you, sir, to step back and look at the situation again!" She held an outstretched palm out at the procession, which was quickly disappearing around another street corner. "Sasuke-sama needs the help of reigning King Uzumaki Naruto, and not the Uzumaki Naruto who cannot do anything to the millions of guards in the procession on the street!"

Finishing with, Hinata then breathed out, as if in release, and quickly took a few steps backwards, until she was almost at the tip of the branch. "I...I'm sorry!" Her voice was back to its usual, shuddering self. "Bu...but I really think Sasuke-kun is enduring all of this because he wants to see you ascend the throne... and if you go out now you'll be putting all of his efforts to waste... so I... I..."

"Enough," Naruto's voice was calm, quiet. Hinata stopped stammering and glanced up uneasily, finding herself staring at a simmered blond, whose eyes were affixed in the direction Sasuke's prisoner cart had last disappeared into. "Enough, Hinata," Naruto sighed, looking away and out into the distance as he did. "That's enough..." His voice trailed, going softer and softer with each mumbling. "I know... I know... stupid, stupid Sasuke..."

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata ventured bravely, despite herself.

The blond took only a while more to mull over whatever it was he wanted to. He then breathed in deeply and sharply. Once that was done, he turned to Hinata, his usual fox-grin well placed on his face once more. "Lead the way, Hinata!" He exhorted cheerily. "Get me to that coronation place thingy before Tsunade-baba takes over my throne!"

Unsure of whether to be affected by Naruto's forced smile, or to question him about it, Hinata eventually just nodded, conjuring up Chakra for her Byakugan, so that she could guide them both through the massive myriads that was the Palace and arrive at the coronation grounds before either Tsunade or Sasuke did.  
****

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20/6/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Twenty-Four

  
Shikamaru was in a fix.

The total uproar of the crowd aside, he thought to himself, as he dodged an amok egg that was seeking to find the bars of Sasuke's cage but flew towards the wardens instead, it was getting increasingly difficult to initiate any kind of a break-out plan with every step they took that drew them closer to the execution grounds. The crowds stuck to them like a starved leech. Orochimaru, the warden knew, was also watching, with his tens upon tens of spies littered throughout the capital. Any disparity in the norm would alert these 'eyes of Orochimaru' off immediately. And the great snake himself would descend upon the entourage in an instant. Not a very nice prospect to look forward to, Shikamaru realised with shuddering.

He thought about the situation some more. He was not in the position to make eye contact with Sasuke - not that Sasuke was making eye contact with anything but the wooden flooring of the cage he was in, anyway. This seriously limited his options. A few more options flew through his head, but they were dismissed as quickly as it came. Finally, he sighed.

/Looks like I have to fall back on /that/ plan after all.../ he watched the crowd carefully, before stepping forward to shout at one particular good-for-nothing man who was almost stumbling into the cleared spacing for the jail-cart to pass.

From the other side of the cart, Chouji's eyes narrowed. This was Shikamaru's pre-arranged cue - an indication that he was about to use the last resort. To do that, however, he needed everybody in the crowd - and he meant it when he said 'everybody' - to be distracted. Even if for a split second, Shikamaru had told Chouji seriously, he would need everybody's attention from the crowd to be diverted away from both Sasuke and himself. Chouji steeled himself and observed the things that were happening, looking for an opportunity to help Shikamaru.

The opportunity came quickly.

The crowds were still tossing things of a rotten nature towards the cage, and as the flurry of items intensified, some of the rotten foodstuff spattered across the floor right in front of Chouji. Chouji knew, with relief, that he was well known in the capital as well as among the constables for his clumsiness. He carefully yet carelessly hovered a foot over a wayward banana skin, knowing that his slip would be anything but suspicious.

With a tremendously loud yelp, Chouji fell dramatically onto his back, landing with a dull thud, earning for himself spirals in his eyes and around his dizzy head.

For that moment, what everybody could remember was nothing but the sound of the fall and the face of the man who caused it.

And that moment was more than enough for Shikamaru to initiate the plan he had dubbed, prior to their mission, 'the final resort'.

As soon as the instant was over, Chouji was no longer the centre of attention. For the cart moved on, whether or not Chouji would get up frmo his fall. The execution had to take place at the appointed time, with or without Chouji by its side.

Shikamaru now had a nervous smile on his face, unseen by the crowds, whose attention was once again fixated upon the prisoner. Beads of cold sweat rolled down his cheek. Sweat that could be easily mistaken for perspiration in the hot sun.

The set-up was complete, Shikamaru sighed with relief internally. Now the best thing that they could do was to wait for the plan to work towards its finish.

—————————————————————

"How long more, Hinata?" Naruto asked, for what must have been at least the twentieth time since Hinata started leading the way towards the coronation cum execution ground. The Hyuuga gulped down her anxiety that she was not doing a good job and opened her mouth to answer.

"I...I think we should be there in another fifteen to twenty minutes... if... if nothing crops up along the way..." The girl was saying.

"Relax, man, what could possibly crop up?" Naruto's optimism astounded her. They had been leaping from rooftop to rooftop, sometimes hiding in the canopy of trees, avoiding guards and staying away from chambermaids of the palace. So far, so good. But there was only so much good timing they could grasp, for the palace was huge and the guards aplenty. Surely someone would have noticed two shadowy figures leaping from wall to wall by now. "We need to get there faster, Hinata! Is there any way we can do this faster?"

"I...I think we are already moving at a very fast speed, Naruto-kun..." Hinata replied, hesitantly. "If...if we go any faster, we... we will not have time to check our surroundings and decide where to go next and..."

"We don't need to do all that!" Naruto complained. "We've not met a single guard so far in our jumping around! They must be all at the coronation already!" With that, he landed on a wall ledge and stood tall. "See? I can stand up tall and unhindered on this wall and nobody's even here to see what I'm doing--"

"AAH!" A loud, muffled and unknown voice called out from around the corner. Naruto and Hinata glanced in the direction of the shout, and were both aghast to see a uniformed patrol guard, pointing an accusing finger in their general direction. "INTRUDERS!" The guard proceeded to yell. "INTRUDERS IN THE PALACE! RED ALERT! RED ALERT!"

"Oops!" Naruto blinked. He then turned to Hinata, and smiled very sheepishly. "Okay. Now what?"

All Hinata could do was to make a small squeak, before hurriedly ushering Naruto back down another palace alley that was in the complete opposite direction from where they were going to. All of that, while their footsteps were gradually drowned in the thundering of a thousand and one other soldiers of the palace, determined to weed out the intruders so that the coronation would proceed without a hitch.

—————————————————————

Just at that precise moment in time, the executional entourage turned down the final street it would be parading before arriving at the coronation proper.

It was the main street that led into the Palace.

It was a wide road.

The road that would lead Sasuke to his inevitable confrontation with death.

—————————————————————

"Hinata!" Naruto cried out, while they raced thruogh the wind, atop the roofs of the Palace buildings at top speed. "We're going really fast now, but I think we're going in the wrong direction!" He pointed urgently towards his back while trying to keep up with Hinata. "The assembly area is /that/ way!"

"Naruto-kun... di...did you realise that we have an entire legion of soldiers after us?" Hinata asked, meaning no sarcasm, purely wanting to know.

"Course I do!" Naruto immediately said. "But since they're chasing us around, it means that they're going where /we're/ going... and that means we should set the direction for them!" Seemingly having decided upon something, Naruto stopped abruptly in his sprint, forcing Hinata to stop as well. Without another word more, he spun around, facing the mob of soldiers who were hot on their heels. He grinned, rather evilly, and with a strong push of his ankle, dove right into the fray, in the direction that they had been running away from just two seconds ago.

After realising that she could only gape for so long, Hinata quickly followed in Naruto's footsteps.

—————————————————————

The death parade had come to an end. The jail-cart sat placed upon an elevated platform, surrounded by black, triangular flags; guarded only by the appointed executioner.

Orochimaru.

—————————————————————

The guards of the Palace were confused.

"That way!" One squad leader screamed, pointing his sword down a slope of broken walls. A flash of golden hair in between the space of the leaves told them that they were on the right track. "Hurry!"

"Wait, he's over there!" Another guard screeched from somewhere behind another wall. A turn in the direction this guard was highlighting revealed that there was indeed another golden-haired boy with his hooded companion leaping away via another exit. Much confused mumbling ensued.

"Over there!" Another guard shouted.

"And there!"

"There's one there too!"

"And that way also!"

The squadron leader was in a fix. He glanced at all the directions the intruders were apparently going off into, resisting the urge to tear his hair out. "All right, you guys!" He finally shouted, commanding the attention of his subordinates. Split up into teams of two and give chase to each of the pairs! Don't let a single one get away!"

"Yes, sir!" The guards' fired-p shouts echoed through the Palace grounds. In a moment, they were dispersed with their partners, each latching on to a pair of who they assumed were the intruders, determined not to let them out of their sights.

—————————————————————

Naruto - the real one - grinned like a fox to himself. He was hiding in a dug-out in a dark corner of the particular courtyard that the guards had just stormed into. As soon as the last pair of guards disappeared, he stepped out into the light. After a brief, cursory glance around, he beckoned at Hinata, who was behind him. Together, they snuck off into yet another part of the Palace, where there were no guards, for all the guards were being kept busy by the thousands of shadow clones Naruto had made to assist them in their escape.

It was certainly calm and quiet.

Just like the calm before the storm.

—————————————————————

Of course, Sasuke thought to himself wryly, as he watched Orochimaru approach him, the executioner would be him.

The highest ranked constable in the land for the highest ranked criminal in the land. How aptly appropriate.

"Hello there, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru's voice was like poisoned honey, sweet yet deadly. "I did promise you that I will see you again, didn't I?"

Sasuke kept silent, not saying anything in return.

"The Uchiha Clan is not particularly known for their fondness of speech, are they?" Orochimaru continued to purr, but Sasuke remained stoically silent. The snake-like man withdrew his sword and let it glint menacingly under the midday sun. "And you still keep your silence up to your moment of death?" He whispered, circling Sasuke, as the people of the land slowly filled up the grand assembly courtyard. "Protecting a liege who will never be crowned?"

The Uchiha did not so much as utter a sound or flutter an eyelid. His gaze was affixed on what was before him, his eyes clouded and shadowed. By this time, the crowd had pressed forward to the centre of the execution stage, barred from touching the platform only by the barbed fences placed all around the area in a wide circle. Orochimaru stopped his taunting of the young Uchiha, glancing sidelong at the frenzied crowds, whose united voices of 'Off with his head!' were escalating to such heights that it was impossible to hold a conversation anymore with the person an arm's length away from you. Still smiling, Orochimaru turned towards the direction of the sheltered pavilion.

Where Tsunade, and all the royal officials were seated, awaiting the hour to arrive.

—————————————————————

"This is the door, Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered, as if talking loudly would get the entire Palace's guard force back on their tail. "It will open into the southern gates, which directly faces the Royal Pavilion. In between these two places is the grand assembly courtyard, which is open to the public just for today. It must be full of people now," she paused as a loud cheer could be heard coming through from behind the huge, looming double-leaf door, decorated from top to toe with ornate, intricate designs. "...as you can hear from just now... and the executional platform," Naruto perked up at the shift in subject, for really, stopping Sasuke's execution was all he was interested in for now. "...it is placed in the direct centre of the courtyard. Th...that's about all there is to know about the layout of the place..."

"Yeah, and that should be enough," Naruto butt in, sensing that Hinata had nothing more to say. He put a hand on the hilt of the Sword of Jewels, narrowing his eyes on the large door before him. "How do we get through this door? Break it down? Slice it up? Kick it over?"

"You use a key to unlock it, or you won't be able to break it down even if you tried until tomorrow morning."

"What!" Naruto turned to look at Hinata, who jumped backwards slightly in surprise. "Are you kidding! That's not going to happen! I don't have some stupid key or whatever it is to open this damned door! Isn't there a faster way!"

"Na...Naruto-kun?" Hinata blinked, in slight confusion mixed with slight fear. "Wh...what key are you talking about?"

In turn, Naruto stared at her in bemusement as well. "Weren't you just telling me I needed to open this stupid door with a key?"

"I...I didn't say anything..." Hinata shook her head frantically. "I..."

"I was the one who said that, Naruto-kun," the same voice who had informed Naruto about the key sounded out again. And this time, even Hinata could hear it. Her eyes widened in surprise, much like how they widened when she first say Tsunade and heard her voice. Turning in the direction of the voice, where there were also footsteps rustling in the sand, the young Hyuuga gasped.

"Uchiha Itachi!" She cried out in a harsh whisper, stepping back so that she now flattened herself against the door they were trying to go through. Her shuddering could be seen through her thick cloak. Beads of cold sweat rolled off her temples, down to her chin.

For a moment, Naruto wondered who could this new person possibly be, that he could make Hinata more terrified than Tsunade could. A quick look in the direction where Hinata was looking at, however, solved his queries.

A tall man, taller than he was, stood there. He was dressed in deep, solemn colours, and his hair was as pitch darkness. It was not that he had Sasuke's Sharingan, that made Naruto's jaw drop with astonished amazement. No, it was that he looked - sans the two slanted wrinkles along his outer nose and the long hair tied up in a loose ponytail - exactly like what Naruto last remembered Sasuke to be. Hinata's words began to finally infiltrate his understanding. Uchiha. Itachi. Uchiha. Uchiha.

"You're Sasuke's older brother," Naruto said, calmly, clearly.

"There they are!" The voices of the pursuing guards could be heard, even as the guards themselves entered into the courtyard Naruto and Hinata had sneaked into, before Itachi could formulate a reply. Heavy stamping and the clattering of swords and spears started to fill the courtyard, along with their wielders. "Get the intruders to prison!" The squadron leader declared, pointing his sword towards the duo by the grand door.

"Yes, sir!" The guards acknowledged loudly, swarming into the courtyards, surrounding Naruto and Hinata.

No longer able to see an escape route, Naruto growled loudly at the guards. He was so near to liberating Sasuke, and yet he was so far. The guards would pay, if he did not reach the arena on time. But for now, if it was a fight to the finish they wanted...

Then a fight to the finish he would give them.  
****

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2/7/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	26. Chapter Twenty Five

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Twenty-Five

"Stop," Itachi's monotonous yet authorative voice effectively froze everybody - including Naruto, in their steps. The man had not moved at all from where he was originally standing since telling Naruto about the key, yet his presence was so strong, it was almost crushing. Still inanimate, he declared, "All of you are to return to your posts to ensure that the public are orderly and well behaved in the grand courtyards, and that no crime is taking place underneath the joyous occasion."

"But the intruders!" The guard leader protested immediately.

This time, Itachi moved. He turned his head and burrowed his intense glare into the eyes of the one who dared to speak up against him, making the guard leader break out into shivering and sweat.

"I saw them first," Itachi's voice was still as monotonous as ever, but it reeked of an undercurrent of malice. "...I'll take care of them myself." He then looked away, back at Naruto.

The guard leader sank to his feet, the moment Itachi broke away from looking at him. "Y...yes, sir... yes sir..." he could do nothing but mumble weakly, waving his hands at the rest of his subordinates, some of whom were unsatisfied with the change of events, and others of whom were all too glad to comply with Itachi's instructions. Slowly, but surely, they shuffled out of the courtyard, leaving but three people - Naruto, Hinata and Itachi - behind in their leaving.

"Are you really Sasuke's older brother?" Naruto immediately blurted out, when all the unrelated people had made their exit. He thought he could see a flicker of emotion in Itachi's otherwise dead-looking eyes, but it was over so quickly, Naruto wondered if he had really seen it at all.

The Uchiha took a step forward, towards Naruto, remaining quiet.

"Do you /know/ that Sasuke's gonna be executed for things he never did, right about now, on the other side of this damned door!" Naruto continued to ask, when it did not seem like Itachi was in the mood to answer him. "How can you /not/ be concerned! He's your brother! Your flesh and blood! Why the hell aren't you out there, protesting like mad to his execution! Is Orochimaru really so important that you'd choose the bloody snake over your sibling! Answer me, Uchiha Itachi!"

Only Naruto, Hinata thought to herself, as she beheld this entire scene unfolding before her eyes, had so much courage that he would go up against who was arguably the most powerful guard in the Palace, without so much as batting an eyelid or stopping to think. She opened her mouth, thinking to at least warn him, but immediately clammed up, for Itachi had taken yet another step forward.

And not just another step forward, but a step forward with a rapid unsheathing of the sword that hung by his side.

The next thing happened so quickly, that Hinata did not even have time to yell for Naruto to watch out.

In the merest blink of an eye, Itachi had moved from his position in the middle of the courtyard, to the stoned corridor that Naruto and Hinata were. No wind, no sound, and no flicker did he leave in his wake. He simply moved. Without a word and without a transition. Hinata's voice caught in her throat, for she could no longer scream at what she was now seeing.

Itachi's sword had run through Naruto's midriff, and the blond sported an utterly shocked look on his face. There was no blood, no groan of protest, no warcry. Like Hinata, Naruto had not even had the time to lift a finger, less say draw out his sword in defence.

They stood, frozen in time, in that position, until Hinata finally sank to her feet, her conscious returning to her.

She screamed.

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"The time has arrived!" An announcer in the grand assembly courtyard declared, and immediately after that, an ensemble of long horns sounded out from all directions, surrounding the crowd that was gathered. This effectively caught the attention of everybody present. The masses hushed into a murmuring silence.

"Tsunade," Jiraiya leant slightly towards the lady, who was reclining against a comfortable spot under the pavilion, observing the chaos that was going on beneath. "...your nine-tailed fox hasn't showed up yet."

"Why are you men always so impatient?" She sighed, curling up a fist and leaning her face lazily onto it. "He'll show up. Don't worry."

"And now, the declaration of the coronation of the Fifth monarch of the good land of Fire, in this day of the..." In the background, the announcer had unrolled a thick scroll and was reading out loud from it. The winds carried his voice to a certain distance, where other messengers then caught his words and declared it from their posts to the people who could not possibly hear the original announcer's speech. Jiraiya was only half paying attention. He soon tuned out the announcement - he had already heard it before, twice - and returned his attention to Tsunade.

"You are just one minute short of being crowned as the new monarch, and you're asking me not to worry!" The man asked, his tone incredulous. "Or did you just make up that tale because you wanted to trick me into not pressing you to become the new ruler!"

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade opened her eyes and pinned him with a stern look. "If the brat doesn't show up, I /will/ take over this sorry country! We've been through this before!" She snapped. Then, in a more mellow voice, she continued, "Though you don't have to worry. The brat'll definitely show up."

"I hate to sound cliche, but..." Jiraiya sighed into his palm, "...what makes you so sure about that?"

"Come /on, Jiraiya!" Tsunade kicked him in the shins, catching him unawares. The man gave a silent, strangled cry of pain and doubled over, grasping his hurt foot. "You know me better than that!" Tsunade continued. "I've never won a bet before, and I'm not about to start /now!"

"...hence and onwards!" The announcer, in the meantime, had reached the end of the scroll. After he ended, the crowd erupted into a loud round of cheers and wolf whistles, clapping and stamping. The announcer took the respite to carefully roll up the scroll.

Tsunade stood calmly from her reclining position, knowing it was he cue to be presented to the masses for her swearing in. She threw a knowing glance over her shoulder, back at the frowning Jiraiya. "Besides," she said, a twinkle in her eye, "...Naruto's not the only one out to stop this coronation, you know."

"And now," the announcer boldly expressed, "...our new mona--"

"Just a moment, please," the voice was cold and deathly. Yet it held a certain power to it, and that power effectively hushed the entire crowd into grave silence. Tsunade walked to the fore of the pavilion, leaning against the railing, looking down at the assembly courtyard, and especially at the person who had halted the coronation.

"What do you want, Orochimaru?" She dispensed with the courtesies and cut straight to the chase. Tsunade was never one to play diplomatic hide-and-seek. Not especially if it concerned the one man called Orochimaru.

The supreme chief of constables smirked up at her, his hair and executional robes flapping about in the sudden gale of wind that whipped across the courtyard. All eyes and attention were upon him, for his response.

Just like he wanted.

"It seems puzzling to me, Tsunade," he said aloud, uncaring of courtesy titles as well, now that Tsunade showed that she did not care. The crowd murmured for a while, seeing that he did not accord to Tsunade the proper title she deserved as a monarch-in-crowning, but neither Orochimaru nor Tsunade paid attention to them. "...that you would hold your coronation /before/ the execution of this vile criminal." He paused, and murmuring once again picked up among the audience. "The law has already condemned this soul into violent death, and yet you are waiting to hold his execution after you have ascended the throne. Doesn't that sound a little illogical, especially to someone of your high intelligence, Tsunade?"

Tsunade's face remained neutral. "What are you trying to insinuate, Orochimaru?" She asked again, her tone betraying her annoyance. "That I value my position in this country more than the getting rid of this menace who has apparently caused much suffering to the people in this land?"

"I said nothing," Orochimaru's smirk, if at all possible, stretched wider. "I just await your decision."

Tsunade glanced down at the executional platform, at the beaten and battered Sasuke, waiting for what was to come. She remembered that Naruto had insisted that this was his friend. The friend he would ascend the throne to save. A quick scan of the audience told her that it would be impossible to single any one person out from so many. For a while, she was slightly frustrated. Where was that boy, anyway? Then she remembered her own words to Jiraiya just now, and she lifted a hand towards the sky.

That was it. She was putting Sasuke's life on the stake as well. That decided, she brought her hand down in a slashing motion, a sign of the person of authority that the execution was to proceed. "Execute him!" She declared, and the jubilent crowd beneath her roared like they had never roared before. They had come here to see blood spilt, and blood it was that was going to be spilled. Exchanging one last look with the triumphant looking Orochimaru, Tsunade turned, and returned to the dark recesses of the pavilion, the coronation postponed until after Sasuke's execution.

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Orochimaru too, turned and this time, directed his smirking at the still silent Sasuke. "It looks like your time of death has just been brought forward."

/Bloody bastard/ Sasuke cursed the man internally, as he watched him get closer and closer to his shadow, executional sword raised up high - ready for action. Any time.

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"Why..." Naruto finally asked, as if broken from a trance by Hinata's shrill scream. He looked into Itachi's eye and continued, "...why didn't you..." he slid down the door he had been leaning against, and sighed with a mixture of relief and hesitation. "...why didn't you kill me?" He frowned, his senses suddenly returning to him. He quickly clambered to his feet and hopped away, revealing the true scene of action Itachi had been making.

Itachi had not pinned Naruto to the door, as Hinata had previously thought she saw. Instead, he had pinned the area of the door beside Naruto, but because Naruto's trunk blocked Hinata's view of the situation, she had mistakenly thought that Itachi had stabbed Naruto through the heart. She let her breath go, feeling herself flooded with relief.

Naruto, on the other hand, did not seem to realise the kind of danger he had just gotten out from.

"What are you planning now, Uchiha Itachi!" Naruto screeched at the taller person, around the same time Itachi withdrew his sword from the door he had stabbed and turned to look at the bustling blond. "I don't believe it!" He continued, making large gestures and pointing here and there. "What are you still doing /here! Do you have any idea /who/ is going to be executed over there, on the other side of the door, today? RIGHT NOW!" The blond pointed angrily at the door. "Uchiha Sasuke!" He yelled. "Your brother! The only one you've got left now! And you're still here! Playing possum to that big snake Orochimaru! Why aren't you doing anything! Why aren't you going in there to kick the asses of everybody bullying your brother! Why are you trying to /stop/ me from doing that in the first place! Why I oughta--"

The door made a sound, abruptly stopping Naruto in his tirade. Much to Naruto and Hinata's surprise, the heavy double-leaf door creaked slowly ajar, the blinding flash of the outdoor sky beaming itself through the opening. Itachi alone was cool. He slowly backed away from the gaping duo, from the door, and slid his sword smoothly back into its sheath.

Naruto took the pause to sidle closer to Hinata. "Hinata!" He whispered, almost demandingly. "What's up with him?"

The Hyuuga gulped and started playing with her fingers, while keeping her eyes trained on Itachi, so that she could be sure he would not try to do anything harmful while she explained the situation to Naruto. "Na...Naruto-kun..." she began, her tone unsure, "...th...the only ones who have access to all the ga...gates of the Palace with the keys a...are the reigning monarch and... and the trusted elders... th...the Royal Bodyguards... the Uchiha Clan u...used to have a tool to do so bu...but I heard that it was lost when th...the clan was massacred..." She paused and winced, because Itachi now stared at her, his bloody red Sharingan eyes were as if boring into her soul.

This did not escape Naruto's notice, for he turned away from Hinata and glared at Itachi challengingly.

"Stop staring at her, you freak!" He growled, pointing at Itachi for good measure. "Just what are you up to now!" He demanded, uncomfortable with Itachi's agenda, whatever it was.

He looked so much like Sasuke, and yet they were so much unlike.

For his part, Itachi chose to keep silent. He not only kept silent - after a while more of staring at Naruto, and Naruto staring at him, the older man turned, wordlessly, and made to leave the scene. This naturally surprised and cautioned the duo.

Naruto, especially, who could not stand being ignored, shouted after the man. "Uchiha Itachi!" His voice was loud and attention grabbing. "Get back here! Don't you dare pretend I'm not here! Answer my question! And--"

"Are you sure," it was the first time even Hinata, even though she had spent many years in the Palace and its vicinity, had heard the sombre Uchiha Itachi's voice. And it sounded just like she had expected it to be - cold and calm, methodological and monotonous. Lined with a thin layer of hidden emotion of urgency? command? Hinata could not tell, even though Itachi continued to drone on. "...are you sure you should be bothered with trivial things like that, when there's someone else who needs you more than you need to know the answers to that question, on the other side of the door?"

This effectively shut Naruto up, whirled his thoughts to a stop, and put his eyes clearly into perspective again. So engrossed he was with beating an answer out of Itachi, he had completely forgotten that Sasuke was still waiting for him. "Oh crud!" He swore, bolted upright, and flew towards the slightly opened door, throwing it open and stepping through the gates.

Itachi no longer mattered. Nothing mattered.

Only Sasuke's survival did.

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"You shouldn't have listened to him!" Jiraiya screeched at Tsunade, the moment she walked back into the dark recesses of the pavilion to observe the execution. "However much sense he made, letting him get away with what he wants, in front of /so many people, on your /coronation day/ is NOT going to cement your image of an authorative, decisive monarch who has a mind of her own!"

"Well Jiraiya, that's the most sensible thing I've heard you say for the whole of today," was Tsunade's smirk and reply. She curled up a hand, sat on chair, and leaned against her fist. "But what do you know. I /do/ know what I'm doing." She smiled knowingly. And yawned.

Jiraiya stared suspiciously at her.

The blond lady eventually settled, and gave him a serious, sidelong glance. "Jiraiya," her voice was strangely sober. "...I need you to do something for me in the meantime."

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Orochimaru's blade was upraised, glinting sharply against the midday sun. The grinning man said no more, for there was really nothing more to say.

/Naruto/ Sasuke sighed to himself as he watched the blade descend/...you idiot./

The blade completed its course, struck its target, and crashed against the mounted platform spectacularly.

The crowd cheered.

Drowning out the single word the horrified Naruto had in his mouth, as he witnessed the scene he had least expected to see when he burst through the gates of the wall tower.

"SASUKE!"  
****

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2/7/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	27. Chapter Twenty Six

**NARUTO (c) Kishimoto Masashi ・Shueisha ・Studio Pierrot ・TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

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Down The Untrodden Path  
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Chapter Twenty-Six

  
Immediately after Sasuke's body collapsed onto the platform, Orochimaru turned to, not Tsunade's pavilion, but the watchtower opposite it. It was as if he was looking at something up there that held his interest.

Someone that held his interest.

A purple, triangular barrier suddenly snapped into the area, starting from the four cardinal watchtowers of the grand assembly courtyard and tapering upwards until it merged at a common point, forming a translucent prism. The people in the courtyards screamed for dear life - the sudden change in mood and the influx of an oppressive aura not escaping their notice. Immediately, people started to panic, and stampeding started to occur in one place after another.

Tsunade rose calmly, her countenance serious, and proceeded to the balcony of the pavilion.

"People of the land!" Her voice was authorative and strangely devoid of panic. "Be calm! Be calm!"

In just a little while more, the frenzied crowd had calmed down considerably, taking the words of their new monarch with relief. Once there was not so much noise, Tsunade put her hands on her hips and directly addressed the man responsible for the oppression. "Orochimaru!" She cried out. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Oh dear," Orochimaru laughed, and glanced upwards at her. "Whatever do you mean, Tsunade? Are you saying that I'm responsible for this messy affair?"

"There's no other slimeball in the kingdom with that much power," Tsunade retorted loudly. She placed a hand on the railing and leaned on it. "You want the throne, don't you, Orochimaru? Then leave the people out of this!" Her other hand came down hard on the railing, and the entire gangplank crumbled into pieces. "Release the barrier and let the people go! Then we'll talk!"

Orochimaru did not immediately reply, so there was a brief silence, which the crowd used to hum in low murmuring. Soon, however, the snake-like man quirked the corner of his lips upwards in a menacing smile. He slowly glanced upwards, at the pavilion where Tsunade was, his hair parting to reveal his predatory eyes, golden and glinting with ambitious desire.

"You know me very well, Tsunade," Orochimaru raspily purred, "I'm not a man who's in the habit of hiding my agenda so long as it achieves my purpose." He stepped over the lifeless body of Sasuke, and it was as if the barrier moved along with him. "I wanted Uchiha Sasuke dead because he alone knew the location of the Sword of Jewels, which if he had revealed to you upon your coronation, would have been like a deathblow to my well contrived plans..." he sneered. Tsunade noticed that he chose not to mention the fact that Sasuke had found the true liege. "You are not suitable for the throne, Tsunade," Orochimaru continued, his tone biting. Tsunade frowned. "You," Orochimaru said, as he withdrew a shuriken from within his robes, "...who can't look at blood in the eye..." with lightning fast speed, he tossed the item towards Tsunade, aiming for her blood, but missing by inches as she ducked effectively out of way. "...without trembling like a lost little sparrow!" The man finished, his grin wide and his purpose clear.

Though it was not a serious wound, the shuriken was thrown with such precision that though Tsunade cleared her vital areas from being hit, the blade still shredded through part of her upper arm, which immediately started to bleed, staining her clean robes scarlet and dribbling down her arm, to her hands.

The monarch to be jerked to awareness, the moment she felt the hot liquid slide down her arms. Her eyes immediately flew down to her shaking palms, confirming the sight that was before her.

There was blood gushing down her palms. And quite a lot of it, too.

The trembling immediately took over her entire body, spreading from her limbs to her torso in mere split seconds. Her old fear began to play on her mind and she struggled to speak the anguished words that were stuck in her throat - to no avail. Before Tsunade even realised it, she had crumpled to the ground beneath her, staring wordlessly, horrified, at the blood that had stained her robes and her skin. "No..." she whispered, her voice betraying her desperation. "...no..."

"See for yourself, people of Konoha!" Orochimaru took the chance to declare in a loud voice. "Your chosen queen cannot even help you get out of a simple fix like this!" He laughed. "How can you expect a trembling weakling like her to bring us to greater heights? How can you!"

His accusing words seemed to fan the flames of controversy within the crowd, for the murmurings steadily escalated into busy chattering.

"She cannot," Orochimaru concluded for the crowd, turning to face the trembling lady with an eager, triumphant disposition. "So she will not be the one you will be crowning today!"

Tsunade's world had been whirling, and she was in great inner turmoil. But the taunting voice of Orochimaru kept her in touch with reality, until she finally bit her lower lip hard, opened her tear-filled eyes and lifted a fist high up, bringing it down on the floor area of the overhanging pavilion beside her, breaking it apart with a loud cracking sound, and reducing it to mere floating waste in that one singular, venting swing. This quickly tore everybody's attention away from Orochimaru, and now they stared at the lady of dynamic strength instead.

Trying hard, and succeeding slightly, to eke out an angered grin through her tremblings, Tsunade asked Orochimaru, "W...What was that about being we...weak again?"

Orochimaru was no longer smiling. He kept his calculating eyes on the blond lady.

Who continued, "I...I'll admit readily, Orochimaru, in front of all my citizens even, that I...I'm the worst kind of ruler you can have... for a strong, beautiful country as this..." Pausing, she struggled onto her feet, gripping whatever still remained of the railing of the pavilion and using it as her anchor while she glanced downwards at the courtyards. "Which is why..." she said, succumbing every now and then to a panic attack, "...let it be known to you, and to all of you citizens of Konoha!... that the person you will crown today... will be the one... who can bring down this infernal barrier of yours and save the people from your slimey plans..." she pointed a trembling finger at Orochimaru. "...and wipe that stupid smile off from your face!" Her finger trailed, and now lingered in the general direction of the eastern courtyard gate, where part of the purple barrier was wavering, showing signs of being demolished. "...you see the boy?" It was her turn to smirk, and Orochimaru turned in the direction of her point to see a small, blond figure through the semi-translucent sheen of his purple barrier, hacking away with a sword that shone and reflected with the glory of a thousand jewels. "...he'll kick your ass faster than even say, 'I rule this country'!"

Those words seemingly offended Orochimaru, for his face twisted with grim. He turned, sharply, towards the direction where Tsunade was pointing. If possible, his face contorted even more readily into disshape. He made a hand signal, and from outside the barrier, a mass of shadows started to leap from around the four walls of the courtyards, towards the blond figure, who kept hitting the barrier again and again with his sword.

As if nothing else mattered.

"Na...Naruto-kun!" Hinata spoke up with panic. She had been standing unobtrusively beside Naruto, watching him as he attacked the barrier which stood in between him and his fallen friend. The shadowy attackers came closer with every passing breath, and even though Hinata activated her Byakugan and got into a defensive position, she knew she would not be able to handle so many people at once, should they all strike together. "Naruto-kun! Th...they're coming!"

Naruto completely ignored her warning cries, his attention wholly spent on bringing the barrier down, even if for a little bit; even if for a little while. He was unable to tear his eyes away from the center of the executional stage, where Orochimaru stood, with the fallen body of the one he had come to call his best friend. He could not believe his eyes, and he would not believe it. He would bring the barrier down, damn whatever else was going on around him, and run to the stage. He would skewer Orochimaru on the same sword he struck Sasuke with and pin him against the palace gates for all to see. He would get there and Sasuke would smirk at him in that infernal way of his and mock him for being an idiot again. He would get there, but first, the awful looking purple barrier.

And this wet, stinging sensation in his eyes.

"Naruto-kun!" There was something different in Hinata's petrified voice this time, which forced Naruto to pause momentarily and look up at the shadow that was descending upon him. He could see Hinata in the background, fending off a couple of hooded assassins courageously. Still, one managed to slip past her defences, and there were yet more coming. The one that had slipped by was now coming down against Naruto from the sky, his sword glinting against the sunlight, as if in premonition. Naruto had been so intent on breaking the barrier, that though his head was turned, his attention still had not. He could only watch, wide-eyed, as the assassin swung his sword down in a fast, single sweep. One that would have taken him a great amount of time and reflex to deflect even if he had been paying attention.

The sword struck, and a large sound echoed through the enclosed courtyards.

"Hello there, boy," the man who had held the assassin's attack off with two mere fingers greeted, his smile comfortable and knowing. "...you should really watch your back more carefully around here; we have backstabbers galore!" The smile became a grin.

"Who are you?" Naruto found himself asking, without really wanting to.

"My name is Jiraiya!" Jiraiya declared, and he pushed the shocked assassin away, standing his ground behind Naruto and giving a sweeping glance at the rest of the assassins that now gathered. "And you better remember that name, boy, because you're going to be needing it a whole lot when today's over and done with!"

Naruto simply stared. Immediately afterwards, however, he turned and started attacking the barrier again. "Whatever," he mumbled. "...I'll let you watch my back if you want to watch it so much, just don't get in my way!"

This, of course, did not sit very well with Jiraiya, who was used to be treated with respect in and around the palace. He quirked a rather unhappy brow at the impatient Naruto, who was striking the barrier with the Sword of Jewels again, and said, "I see that you've inherited none of his manners!"

Naruto did not reply.

As the older man continued to strike off Orochimaru's bandits with casual force, he kept beholding Naruto's skill with the Sword, and eventually could hold back from saying anything no longer. "Boy," he pointed out, "I'm only saying this because you seem desperate enough to bring down that barrier for something - but you're not going to be able to do that even if you keep hitting it for the rest of your life, what with the way you're doing it!"

Naruto paused slightly to glare up at the taller man. His look said it all, but he found his voice to speak his piece anyway. "What do you mean, old guy?"

At first, Jiraiya's face twitched slightly. Naruto was everything he would not expect a leader to be, and yet for some reason, he felt drawn and obliged to answer him. "Do you really know how the Sword is used, boy?" He asked, ignoring Naruto's disrespectful speech for now. "Or did you just steal that sword from someone?"

This seemed to spark something off from within the blond. He reared towards Jiraiya and growled angrily, "Of course I know how to use it properly!"

"Oho?" Jiraiya's face turned playful. "But I don't see you using it properly now? And you've not been using it properly for the past few minutes either, striking the barrier as if you were holding a normal sword. You might as well be swinging a twig at the barrier at this rate, I tell ya. They'll both come up to the same thing!"

"Why you...!" Naruto's eyes darkened into an angry shade of blue. Tints of red started to surface around his irises, which did not escape the notice of Jiraiya. Naruto stood completely still, held the Sword in position, and took aim at a random spot in the barrier, concentrating his Chakra into the translucent blade. In the next moment, the colours in the blade started to swirl with activity, clashing and merging with one another like a vortex gone haywire. They eventually convened at the tip of blade and burst forward in a bright spark of fireworks. It hit the barrier in a straight line, slicing right through the purple enclosure, leaving a smouldering hole in its wake. The triumphant Naruto then turned to face Jiraiya with a wide grin. "See? Now you're gonna have to eat your words!"

Jiraiya was doing anything but paying attention to Naruto's words. He had more or less taken down all the assassins Orochimaru had sent, and Hinata was finishing up with the rest of the cannon fodder. The older man thus could put his whole mind on the hole in the barrier, which the Sword of Jewels had created.

Jiraiya understood this barrier very well. He had crossed swords with Orochimaru enough times to know that the barrier's only weakness was its stamina. He had never, if he did not remember wrongly, managed to singe a dent into the thing before, in all his years of knowing the old snake. Glancing at the Sword, which was still dancing with the residue colours of Naruto's Chakra power, he gave a small, resigned chortle. /Yondaime.../ he sighed to himself internally. /...you've left one heck of a legacy behind for your people.../ Crouching slightly so he could speak to Naruto at eye-level, the older man said out loud, "Naruto," while pointing at the hole in the barrier, "strike that spot with your whole strength and all your Chakra," was his instructions. To this, Naruto stared at him in the eye, frowning suspiciously.

"What are you up to this time?" The blond asked.

"I'm doing you a favour, disrespectful brat!" Jiraiya put a hand on Naruto's messy blond mane and ruffled it up. "Do you want to break this barrier down or not?"

"Course I do!" Naruto screeched, swatting Jiraiya's hand away, trying hard not to see too many stars from the manhandle. "But why should I listen to you!" He roared angrily, and Jiraiya could say nothing in rebuttal. "I'll do it my own way, old man!" Naruto continued, turning to face the barrier with the smouldering hole, his countenance saying it all, that he meant business. Serious business.

And as Jiraiya watched on, Naruto gave a loud warcry. He dove straight at the area where the hole was, and lashed out at it, stabbing the barrier right where it was most vulnerable.

This time, the Sword went right through, from the tip to the base of the blade. This generated a huge chain reaction, for instantly myriads of cracks appeared all around the area where the Sword pierced through. In yet another instant, that entire barrier area shattered and dissipated into thin air, no longer able to hold itself up under the pressure. Naruto carefully weighed part of his blade on one of his shoulder and turned to Jiraiya, sticking a tongue out at him. "See?" He announced proudly. "I did it without your help."

Jiraiya was not sure how to respond. "But I told you to do exactly what you just did."

"Yeah you did!" Naruto confirmed, still with a smile. "But I didn't listen to you! I did it my way, and that's the bottom line!"

The older man sighed, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He stretched a hand out, meaning to put it on one of Naruto's shoulders so as to shake some sense into the blond, but blinked when he grasped thin air instead. Looking up, he saw that Naruto had already bolted off through the broken barrier, diving right into the crowd, screaming for them to make way. He knitted his brows together, when he realised where Naruto was heading towards. He was headed directly for the center of the courtyards, where Orochimaru was. That would be disastrous, Jiraiya decided, as he took off after Naruto immediately, for when Orochimaru saw the Sword, Naruto's life was as good as gone.

And this country was as good as gone as well.

覧覧覧覧覧覧覧覧覧覧・

None of that, however, mattered to Naruto at the moment. He sped forward, pushing anybody in his way, elbowing those who were out. "Make way, make way, make way!" He screamed at the top of his voice, slowly but steadily making progress towards the centre, where the aloof figure of Orochimaru stood, together with his fallen friend. "Sasuke, you liar! You liar!" He shouted in frustration to anybody who would hear. "When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna kick your ass so hard that you won't be able to sit for three months!" He yelled. He was now right at the perimeter of the executional stage. "Sasuke!" He shouted at his friend, willing him to hear and respond. "Sa--!"

From behind him, someone capped a firm hand over Naruto's mouth. The initial shock made the blond's voice stuck in his throat. By then, the assaulter had already started to drag him back, away from the executional stage. This snapped Naruto back to reality. He started to struggle against the person, whom he did not know who it was, except that it was someone who was garbed in constable uniform. Shikamaru immediately flashed through his mind, but he dismissed it. Shikamaru was strong, but not as strong as this. Everything and anything Naruto did seemed to be futile. He could only watch, as the stage started to drift further and further into the horizon. The people around all stared at him with looks of mixed horror and incredulity, but none dared to step out to help.

It was not until Naruto was dragged into a corner guard post, and that the door was shut, that the attacker finally let his hand go. Naruto took the opportunity to gasp loudly for air. There was only a single ray of light, from the small window that gave view to the outside world. The post was shrouded with dim darkness. Once his breath was caught, Naruto whirled around, beside himself with anger. Without a single word, he lifted a fist to strike the person who had interfered with his plans.

That is, he would have, if Shikamaru hadn't appeared out of nowhere suddenly to hold his fist back.

"Naruto!" The constable said in a hurried whisper. "What do you think you're doing!"

The fact that it was Shikamaru talking with him at the moment seemingly escaped Naruto's notice. "It was his fault!" The blond pointed at the mysterious constable in front of him, face still veiled by the darkness. "He shouldn't have dragged me away! I was so close!" He yelled, shaking Shikamaru's hand away from his wrist. "I could've gotten Sasuke out!" He shook his head. "...I could have..."

"Naruto," Shikamaru interjected with a sigh. "Orochimaru /cut/ Sasuke's head /off, in case you missed the execution," he ignored the jerk reaction in Naruto's shoulders at his sentence. "But," his lips upturned themselves into a small smile, "thankfully for him, he has some help from the shadowy sources!"

The blond glanced upwards slightly. He had been busy staring at his feet in despair previously. "Help from the shadowy sources?" He repeated, eyes bright with curiosity and a slight tinge of hope.

Shikamaru tilted his chin and made eye movements to indicate for Naruto to look behind him. This Naruto did, turning around to throw a look behind his own shoulders with slight hesitation.

His eyes widened, now that they were used to the darkness - well enough to completely fathom who was the person who had dragged him into the guard post. Naruto froze.

"I managed to make use of his shadow to form a shadow entity, which I then exchanged with the actual Sasuke when nobody was noticing," he nodded at Chouji in seeming approval at this point of time. "Worked better than I expected, though I was seriously expecting you to come before Orochimaru really slayed my shadow entity..." Shikamaru sighed. "...as it is now, the shadow entity will dissolve soon, since neither its source of shadow nor its source of Chakra is within its vicinity anymore. When that happens, Orochimaru will be sure to know what has happened." Shikamaru's eyes darkened. "I don't know what he'll do after that, but you can be sure it won't be anything pleasant."

Naruto, however, did not seem to be listening. "Sasuke!" He shrieked, eyes afixed upon the taller boy behind him. That look of mixed surprise and doubt quickly dissolved into one of controlled fury. Before the calm Uchiha could even find time to sigh quietly under his breath, he found himself at the receiving end of a powerful, well-timed punch - courtesy of Naruto. He managed to duck, but not before Naruto lifted a foot up and stamped it down on his.

"OW!" Sasuke shouted, quickly retreating to a safe distance back. "What the hell do you think you're doing, blockhead!"

Naruto frowned at the incredulous Sasuke for just a moment more. Then he broke into a wide, sunny grin and said, "Just checking to make sure whether you're really Sasuke or not!" In a tone that was more serious, however, he continued, "And you owe me one for making me run around like a headless chicken for so many days!" There was a low growl that accompanied his statement. "And for making Sakura-chan do your dirty job for you! And--"

"I hate to interrupt you guys, but," Shikamaru was saying, somewhere from the sidelines, "...don't you have a throne to seize or something?"

Both Naruto and Sasuke paused in the middle of glaring daggers at each other to look blankly at Shikamaru.

"Oh yeah," Naruto was the first to speak up. "I totally forgot."

This time, Sasuke did sigh out loud. He smacked his forehead with the back of his palm for good measure. He was about to retort, when suddenly, loud outcry from outside the safety of the guard post attracted the attention of all in the shack. As Chouji was the closest to the only window opening in the room, he dove towards it immediately, peering outside and allowing his horrified expression to tell a thousand words.

"Chouji, what's happening?" Shikamaru prompted urgently.

Chouji swallowed the lump that was in his throat. "The purple barrier..." he managed to mumble, "...it's shrinking... and it's destroying anything it's touching along its path!"

Sasuke had torn off his constable disguise by this time, ruffling his own hair out of the constable standard issue hat and picking up his sword, which he had laid aside by the corner of the room. "Orochimaru is trying to force you out, Naruto," Sasuke said. "He saw you when you were running towards him just now, and he should more or less know who you are by now." He turned around to address the blond directly. "Don't go out now, Naruto. You'll just be falling into his pl... ...? Na...Naruto!" The Uchiha trailed, as he found himself staring at empty space and an opened door. He gaped, still not entirely sure what had happened. It was only when Shikamaru lifted a lazy finger and pointed at the opened door did it dawn on him that Naruto had already barged out of the guard post, with the highly likely possibility of having gone on a straight dash towards Orochimaru, to confront him.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Sasuke cursed the thin air, dashing towards the opened door as well. "Why is that idiot always thinking about helping others at the expense of his life!"

"I dunno," Shikamaru shrugged, and was already following Sasuke in heading out of the hut to assist Naruto. "But that's why he's the liege we'll follow," he grinned knowingly at Sasuke.

Sasuke's initial look of doubt and apprehension soon melted into one of pleasant acknowledgement. "You're right," the boy murmured. "You're absolutely right..."  
****

————————————————————  
20/7/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven

** NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi • Shueisha • Studio Pierrot • TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead! **

**Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.**

—————————————————————  
Down The Untrodden Path  
—————————————————————  
Chapter Twenty-Seven

The crowd in the courtyards was in massive chaos.

"Your barrier breaking hero has an impressive weapon, Tsunade," Orochimaru called out, his voice surprisingly clear despite the noise. He snuck a sly glance up at the lady, who had now curled up into a trembling ball, staring at her bloodied palms. "...but where is he? He is nowhere to be found! Are you sure he hasn't been stomped on by the crowds already, battered and bruised and in more pieces than one?"

As he spoke, the barrier shrank, smaller and smaller. Nothing that in its way - be it gate or brick or metal fortification - could withstand its destructive force. Everything crumbled upon touch. The panicked voices of the people rose higher and higher, as the barrier came closer and closer.

Tsunade said nothing. She could say nothing.

Orochimaru next rose his arms to the sky. "Appoint me your king now, citizens!" Was his bold declaration. "And you shall not have to meet your doom here! For if you do not appoint me now, some day I will take over this kingdom anyway, and your sacrifices would have been in vain! Is loyalty to the Fourth monarch so important that you would give your life up for someone who has died nearly sixteen years ago? Is--"

"HEY! YOU!" A voice that was even louder and clearer than Orochimaru's echoed throughout the entire enclosed region. "Stop badmouthing my old guy before I kick your ass up into next week and back!"

The threat had an amazing effect on the masses. It calmed them down so considerably, Orochimaru was forced to pay attention to the speaker. As it would turn out, it was Naruto who had spoken. He was jumping up and down, leaping forward with Chakra-propelled steps at a rapid speed. Within a few seconds, he had crossed the boundary of the execution stage barrier and had climbed onto the stage, standing firm on his spot, glaring at Orochimaru in the eye. Orochimaru smirked at him right back.

Sasuke was beside the blond in an instant. This caused the leer on Orochimaru's face to falter slightly. As it did, the clone that had replaced Sasuke on the executional stage slowly dissolved into bubbles of shadows, slinking across the floor, adjoining themselves to the shadow of the true Sasuke. A glint of recognition flashed across Orochimaru's eyes. "A clone created from the shadow of the true body..." he mumbled, sounding slightly impressed. "...of course I could not have seen through this ruse..."

"Stop mumbling, slimey guy!" Naruto pointed the Sword at him. "I've heard all about you from Iruka-sensei! Your crimes end here!"

"What are you talking about, boy?" Orochimaru shrugged. "How can the supreme chief of constables be guilty of any crimes? Would that not mean that the previous monarch had made a terrible mistake in appointing him as such?" He smirked. "Dare you mock the Fourth Hokage?"

"Yeah, I don't see why the hell not!" Naruto screeched. "Nobody can make fun of my old man except /me, you hear!" He flexed the Sword again, for emphasis. "And yeah! He /was/ stupid! He was stupid enough to leave his kingdom in the hands of a stupid man like you! I'd bet that was why he died! Trusted the wrong guy! But still!" There was a dramatic pause to the tone Naruto's voice now undertook, his sword lowered slightly, his face grim and anguished. "Still! At least I know he loved the people!" He now spoke softly, but was strangely audible. "He wouldn't think twice to die for them... to give up everything he had for them..." The blond's head snapped up angrily to glare at the still leering Orochimaru. "...I know that he would never put the people into any form of danger at all!" He swiped a hand across his chest and pointed at the encroaching purple barrier. "Unlike you!"

"Well, whoever said I was going to harm the people now? What proof do you have?" Orochimaru held both hands out in a light shrug, and slowly walked towards Naruto. Sasuke drew his sword wordlessly and pointed it at the man, which made him pause in his advancing. "I was merely going to remove the ones who will disobey me - the new liege of the land. I should think I have every right to do that now, shouldn't I?"

"No you don't!" Naruto yelled. "Because the throne belongs to me!"

"Oho?" Orochimaru gasped in mock surprise. "And what claim to the throne do you have?"

"He is the son of the Fourth," Sasuke interjected from the sidelines. "The only one who is able to pull the Sword of Jewels out from its sheath. No one - not even you, Orochimaru, can do that, and you know better than to argue against that!"

Orochimaru frowned slightly. He did not say anything in rebuttal.

"I'll be nice and even let you try it, slimeball," Naruto put the Sword back into its sheath and held it out, hilt first, in the direction of the older man.

"Being unable to pull a filthy sword out from its sheath proves /nothing," Orochimaru snarled slightly.

"Oh, but it does!" Naruto grinned, and pulled the Sword out easily, waving it in the air in all its translucent glory. "It proves that you're /weak/. You're weaker than /me, a mere boy. You don't even dare to try pulling out a sword that I could easily pull! Hahah!" Naruto did a little dance, much to the offence of Orochimaru. "See? I'm better than you! You don't deserve the throne!"

In the next split second, while Orochimaru stood still to the eyes of all the crowd which were affixed upon the executional stage, there was a sharp whooshing sound, and a blurred movement of something sharp and dangerous coming towards Naruto's direction. Naruto, untrained for such malicious aura, continued in his dancings. Sasuke, on the other hand, was already on his way to intercept the attacks that Orochimaru had tossed in Naruto's way. He managed to deflect all the kunai away, but not before one flew amok and grazed the right cheek of the dancing Naruto, drawing blood. This effectively stopped the blond in his revelry. His blue eyes became wide with shock.

"Naruto! Stop prancing around like the idiot you are and pay attention!" Sasuke yelled at him. His back was facing Naruto, and he was crouched in a defensive pose with his sword pointed against Orochimaru. This, of course, effectively invoked a reaction out of the previously stunned Naruto.

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Naruto roared. He then stepped forward, shoving Sasuke aside and facing Orochimaru again. "Go away, Sasuke! This is between me and him!"

"You could not even feel the approach of a few kunai in your way," Orochimaru shook his head. "How can you protect an entire nation with your paltry skills?"

"I'm gonna make you eat your words, buster," Naruto growled, his hands already forming a series of seals while holding onto the hilt of the Sword. "But first, I'm gonna crush your stupid ambition to bits." As he spoke, the Sword of Jewels began to swirl with power and a vortex of colours. It started to glow, until it was so bright, it was almost as if the sun itself had descended upon the centre courtyards of the palace. Orochimaru was loathe to admit, but at that point of time, he truly could not see anything beyond the pure whiteness, no matter which Jutsu he used. "You fool!" He laughed, knowing that he could be heard, though not seen. "Nothing can destroy the barrier I have set around the palace today! It was the ultimate barrier that the land of Fire used to defend itself against all its enemies from times past to now! Are you to say that you are greater than all of Fire's combined knowledge?"

"Hell yeah!" Naruto's respond was immediate and without hesitation. "That's precisely what I'm saying!" He collected all the powers he had summoned onto the tip of the Sword, and with one powerful shot, blasted the multi-coloured beam skywards. The beam streaked upwards in jagged, blunted strips. It exploded into many different paths and hit the purple barrier from within at several different areas, sliding through the barrier like it was not there at all. As the people watched on with awe and fascination, the barrier, now riddled with holes, began to crack, much like it had at the side gate which Naruto had broken through just now.

But for a long while, the barrier showed no signs of breaking down. In fact, as Naruto slumped onto his feet in exhaustion - having spent all his energy in that powerful blast, the cracks in the barriers began to repair itself at rapid speed. Sasuke, looking on as well, grit his teeth in frustration. Without the ability to trigger the power in the Sword, they were essentially sitting ducks.

It would take a miracle to save them now.

A miracle that came in the form of a gigantic, overhanging shadow.

The shadow landed atop the already damaged area of the barrier, causing the cracks to widen and deepen. In just a few moments more, the entire barrier shattered like glass shattering into a thousand fragments. As soon as it fell, its presence was no longer seen or felt. The huge shadow came plummeting to ground zero at rapid speed, and people began to scream and run away from its expected point of contact. And it was a good thing they did, for when the shadow eventually did reach the ground, it drove the tiled flooring in with its large, webbed feet. It landed with such impact, such noise, that many who were not even near the landing were tossed metres away regardless.

The cloud of dust dissipated after a long moment of suspense. "Hello there, everybody," Jiraiya winked at the crowd. "I hope you didn't have too much of a nice time without your Premier around to join in the fun!" He rose to full height, shooting Orochimaru a sidelong glance from his vantage point of view atop his toad summon. His countenance now transformed from jesting to grave, he pointed in a random direction. "Constables in the ground! Lead the people away from the courtyards immediately! Leave in an orderly fashion! Hurry!"

"Premier Jiraiya," Orochimaru taunted, his arms folded across his chest. "Aren't we overstepping boundaries today? Have you forgotten who is the supreme commander of the constables of the land - the only one fit to give out instructions to the constables here now?" Shifting slightly, he dug into his robes and withdrew the golden seal of authority, which even the lowest peasants would recognise. "Are you saying you would go against the seal of authority?" Orochimaru challenged. "Will there be no law and order in this land after all?"

"You're the last person in the land I want to be hearing lecturing me about law and order, Orochimaru," Jiraiya growled at him right back. Then his expressions lightened. "And since we're on the topic of authority, I might ask you the same question myself." He gestured generically. "...what about you? Don't you think you're a fool beyond description? You stand in the face of the most powerful authority in the land yet you flash your golden seal around and entrap the people in your purple barrier without giving so much as one ounce of regard to this authority." Jiraiya paused to allow the information to sink in, before proceeding. "You're not qualified to speak about authority, Orochimaru. And nobody will cleave to your authority, just as how you do not cleave to those above you."

This seemed to ignite a spark of irritation with Orochimaru. His brows were knitted in a frown, although he kept his smirk. "Tsunade the Queen-to-be?" He remarked callously. Then snickered. "Where is her authority, now that she is nothing more than a huddled heap upon the platform?" He gestured in the general direction of said platform. "Can you imagine her leading the troops of the land out to war against the enemies of the Fire? Is she truly the leader you people want to have?" He raised his voice at the last question, seeming pitching it rhetorically. The crowd, though now free from the barrier, stayed in the courtyards, bathed in a thoughtful silence. "The leader of the most powerful country in the world - afraid of mere splashes of blood! It will do more harm than good to our reputation!"

Murmuring started to ensue between the people of the crowd and the person beside them. Even Jiraiya remained silent, as if pondering Orochimaru's words for real. Quickly, however, he broke into a snigger. "Are you a fool, Orochimaru, or has spending too much time in the dark blinded you to the obvious?" The white-haired man said, while pointing at the still seething Naruto, standing somewhere behind him. "See carefully, who the true possessor of the seal of ultimate authority is. And then perhaps you will learn for yourself today that you will never, and can never be the most powerful man in the land."

Orochimaru's smirk had all but completely vanished. He obligingly turned to look at the blond, who glared at him defiantly. All the while, he had been distracted only by the Sword of Jewels - but he knew the Sword would not be enough to convince the people that this boy had the sanction of the entire land. As he peered closer, however, he felt as if a jolt of shock had just run up his spine.

The pendant of authority, much more famous than the Sword of Jewels and recognised by all in the land to be a pendant who graces only those it chooses to be worthy, hung safely upon the neck the boy called Naruto, sparkling against the sunlight, as if mocking Orochimaru's very existence.

Without really meaning to, Orochimaru lashed out at Naruto with the sword he held by his side; the blade of the sword elongating itself and twisting and turning in all manners to avoid being caught by someone before it found its victim.

That, of course, proved to be futile in the presence of an experienced warrior.

"Now, now, Orochimaru," it was Jiraiya's turn to leer. He held the tip of Orochimaru's elongated blade between two mere fingers, and the weapon could proceed no further. "What's up? Attacking a mere innocent boy in front of so many people isn't going to make you any more popular with the masses."

"He is wearing, without authorisation, the pendant of authority," Orochimaru stated.

"And who made you the judge of that?" Jiraiya questioned, throwing the blade to a side. "You shouldn't have forgotten - and neither has the people, that the relics of authority were left behind by the First and Second Hokage to recognise only the worthy and pure as their owners. The Sword of Jewels aside - the pendant of authority has been used to select worthy monarches from times past to know - with no mistakes whatsoever. Against the testimony of the pendant," Jiraiya struck a fighting pose, "...your attack holds no ground."

Orochimaru, after a short pause, mirrored Jiraiya's actions. "Well then," his voice was dark and foreboding. "...I'll just have to kill your future king to be and seize the pendant and sword to make the nation bow to me."

The next attack came from seemingly nowhere, and Naruto, who had been listening quietly to the development of affairs thus far, almost could not avoid the lethal sting of a burst of Chakra from Orochimaru. The Sword in his hand, as it was, seemingly developed a life of its own, leading Naruto to defend himself and avoid Orochimaru's attacks. Each Chakra strike that would hit the blade of the Sword would dissipate and seemingly vanish nowhere. And each time it happened, the Sword's vortex of swirling colours began to deepen in purple. This dance of defence continued for quite a long while, until even Shikamaru, who was standing at the perimeter of the executional stage, could feel a crawling sense of dread emanating from Naruto where he stood atop the stage. The constable gulped. He discreetly started to gather some of his colleagues, and together, they discreetly pushed the amazed crowd as far away as they could from what was to become ground zero very soon.

And very soon it was.

"Hey, walking corpse," Naruto spoke up, when Orochimaru's attack had tapered off slightly. His voice was quiet, but dangerous. "I don't care much if you insult me..." Naruto walked forward slowly, his face veiled in shadows. "...I don't even care much if you insult my ancestors..." The boy stopped, lifting his head and showing his open scowl to everybody who cared to observe. "But this is between you and me, buster," he pointed the swirling Sword of Jewels at the taller man. "...if you dare hurt anyone else in front of me..."

"If I did?" Orochimaru interjected, folding his arms across his chest tauntingly.

"Then I'll make sure you won't live to see dawn tomorrow!" Naruto's mood seemingly affected the way the Sword behaved, for the blade now glowed with an angry, threatening purple - crackling with unreleased energy, waiting to burst out.

But Orochimaru was not concerned. He scoffed, and then laughed out loud. "You?" He mocked. "A mere boy?" Already, his hands were forming seals with rapid speed. Before he had completed them, however, Jiraiya had already recognised the Jutsu.

The white-haired man baulked. He turned and immediately yelled at whoever was listening, "Clear the area! Clear the area now! Constables, get to your posts and clear the people into the inner courtyards now! The pendant of authority speaks!" He pointed to Naruto, who was doing anything but speaking. But the people did not need to be told twice in the face of imminent doom. Most of them had already started to scream and run towards whatever opened gates there were.

And just in time. For when the huge, hulking serpent of summon tore out of the flooring and lifted Orochimaru up upon its head, whoever had been in the immediate vicinity would have fallen prey to the creature's awakening, buried under a molass of debris no one could ever hope to get out from, especially in the current chaos.

But Orochimaru was unconcerned. "I've been waiting for this moment since Sarutobi-sensei passed away," Orochimaru snarled at Jiraiya, who was also engaged; albeit frowning, in his own set of seal-making. "When he appointed that bubble-head as the Fourth, and when the items of authority acknowledged him, I swear I would have went on a rampage if I was comforted by the fact that the Fourth would soon go to war against the Bijuu, and without a doubt die to those monsters because of his inexperience!" He laughed. "And die he did, although not before leaving a mess behind for me to clear before I can obtain the throne!" Orochimaru shot a glance at Naruto when he said this. Then, he turned and now looked at the bedarkened, broken-down pavilion high above the courtyards where Tsunade was evidently still in. "I'll take care of you later, weak little blond boy," Orochimaru smiled at Naruto, whose frown now deepened ten fold. "For now, just sit back and watch... what makes a real monarch is not how much authority he has," Orochimaru pointed at the pavilion, and the snake he was standing upon opened its mouth to gather a ball of thick, dark Chakra there.

In the next moment, before anyone had the time to even blink, the ball of Chakra shot outwards in a straight flash, diving rapidly for the pavilion - for Tsunade, who was defenceless against it. Jiraiya cursed. His seals had just finished, and even if he summoned Gama Bunta now, the gigantic toad would be unable to reach the spot of impact quickly enough. He could only watch on, along with the rest of the nation, helplessly, as the dark ball of energy charged towards their queen, who was to be.

Before the Chakra ball could even hit the pavilion, however, it hit something clear and translucent. With a huge sound it dissipated into nothingness. The onlookers were surprised. Orochimaru in particular, was aghast with a strange sort of recognition.

Once the residue energy completely cleared, it was not hard to see why.

Uchiha Itachi stood crouched atop the pavilion roof. It was he who had stopped Orochimaru's attack.  
****

—————————————————————  
20/7/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight

**NARUTO (c) Kishimoto Masashi ・Shueisha ・Studio Pierrot ・TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.

------------  
Down The Untrodden Path  
------------  
Chapter Twenty-Eight

  
"This is different from what we originally agreed on, Orochimaru," was Itachi's calm, monotonous answer to the question lingering in everybody's minds. He then straightened himself unassumingly, his eyes continually locked on Orochimaru.

In reply, Orochimaru - Itachi's supposed superior, smirked at him. "Itachi..." he spoke, raspily. "I see... the blood of the Uchiha truly does run in your veins, despite everything, hmm?"

A loud explosion interrupted Orochimaru from whatever speech he was about to give. All who were still present in the courtyards, as well as curious commoners peering out from behind the windows of the bricked walls they were now safely located behind, turned their attention to the source of the noise. It was made by a huge, hulking figure, currently masked in smoke and dust. As visibility slowly got better, the recognisable form of Jiraiya could be seen first. As he rose to full height, the creature he was now standing atop of quickly showed itself before the masses.

"Should you really be worrying about Uchiha Itachi?" Jiraiya spoke out to Orochimaru, now that they were on eye level, each standing atop their summoned beasts. The giant toad Gama Bunta eyed the huge Manda snake, understanding the situation quickly, even as Jiraiya continued, "Your opponent is me, Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru raised a brow. "No, I am not," he replied, shaking his head. "...when have you /ever/ won me in a duel, big or small, Jiraiya?" He asserted, and Jiraiya's shoulders jumped slightly at the trueness of that statement. "Never," Orochimaru leered, "in case you have forgotten." He shrugged. "And you certainly aren't going to start now."

"We'll never know until we try!" Was Jiraiya's prompt, riled up response. He made a set of seals. "Doton - Doryuudan!" He then pressed his palm on the head of Gama Bunta, who took the channeled energy and transmitted it into a massive Jutsu. A huge, towering dragon of mud ascended from beneath the ripped tiles of the palace courtyards, its eyes glowing with long-awaited action. With a wide open mouth, the mud dragon spewed out shot after shot of thick, slimey mud, tightly packed into huge balls.

Yet Orochimaru was unconcerned. He had made his own set of seals, and very rapidly unleashed them. He made a similar, watery dragon materialise out of the air, and with deathly speed and accuracy shot out several balls of water that quickly neutralised the balls of mud that came their way. Once the double shots knocked each other out, Jiraiya and Orochimaru both gave each other knowing grins.

That was merely the warm up.

The real thing had only just begun.

------------

Naruto was lost in the grand scale of the battle that next followed. While chaos continued to ensue around him, all he found that he could concentrate on was the battle between Jiraiya and Orochimaru. He soaked up in the atmosphere of the moment, looking at the Jutsu that were being used and committing them to memory without even realising what he had done.

And he would have continued to watch, if Sasuke hadn't grabbed him by the back scuff of his neck and started dragging him away from the hotbed of action.

"Sasuke, bastard! What do you think you're doing!" Naruto immediately screeched, struggling wildly to break free to no avail. Sasuke kept his hold firm, refusing to let Naruto have his way.

"We're getting OUT of here you little moron!" The huffed up Uchiha replied. "If we stay here any longer we'll be fried by the impact of the fight!"

"So lemme be fried!" The blond yelled, still struggling. "I wanna stay! I /need/ to stay!"

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Sasuke stopped dragging Naruto, as they had now reached the threshold of a fortification gate, which after they stepped through they would be relatively safe. All around them, there were still commoners rushing by, gathering themselves towards the gate, pouring out of the courtyards. In contrast, the stationery figures of Naruto and Sasuke were like pillars of unwavering will in the face of impending doom. "You wanted to be King, didn't you?" Sasuke softly reminded Naruto, after feeling slight regret over his outburst. "You've already decided to lead these people to where you want them to go, haven't you?" He gestured slightly. "If you go down here, now... then where will these people go?"

His words seemingly broke the spell that Naruto was under. "Oh yeah," the boy blurted out immediately, much to Sasuke's surprise. "...I'm here to become King, ain't I?"

Sasuke tried to control his twitching brow. "Excuse me?" He politely queried with a dangerous voice.

"Aah, you see..." Naruto grinned like a fox, and as the floor behind him got ripped up by an amok fire Jutsu, he continued, "...I was rushing here and everything because I wanted to stop the execution because I didn't want you to die before I kicked your ass into next week or anything, and I completely forgot I was supposed to stop the coronation and become King too," his grin was, if anything, getting wider by the second. "Oops."

Sasuke could not take it any longer. Future king or not, this boy deserved a spanking that would put the most seasoned of nannies to shame. With that thought shining through in his eyes, Sasuke raised a hand. "Na... ru... to...!" He growled, ready to smack the blond any time. Naruto, sensing his punishment, quickly lifted both hands up to protect himself against the incoming chop.

Both their plans of offence and defence, however, came to an abrupt stop, when a massive chunk of wall came flying past their ears at breakneck speed. It crashed into the gate they were about to enter, crushing a few people who were still rushing to use it, and putting that particular gate in such a state of shambles that it could no longer be used.

Naruto and Sasuke turned back to the battle at hand. To their horror, before their very eyes, Gama Bunta disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Jiraiya fell from midair to the ground, hitting the collapsed tiles there; motionless - except for his heavy breathing and a single hand, pressing onto a wound on his side. Orochimaru alone still stood atop his summoned beast, his hair whipping about to cover his expression, but not enough to cover the complacent smirk on his face. The people who were still in the courtyards screamed. The people who were trying to use the gate Naruto and Sasuke were standing before also screamed. They then switched directions and now ran towards the next nearest gate.

The area cleared quickly. Only Naruto and Sasuke stood before the broken gate when everybody else had fled.

As if mocking them, Orochimaru turned their way, and sneered at the duo. Then he turned away, towards the direction of the pavilion, where Tsunade and Itachi were. Naruto shook with rage at what he deemed was the slight of his life. Without a word, he took a step forward, meaning to run towards where Orochimaru was, to give the snake-man the beating of his life. He would have succeeded, but Sasuke was in front of him before he even knew it, with one foot stuck out. Always eager to step forward but never knowing what laid ahead, Naruto fell spectacularly for the oldest trick in the book. He landed with a loud crash, head-first, on the ground.

"Stop trying to pretend as if you're some inhuman hero!" Sasuke scolded, now that he knew he had Naruto's attention. Grabbing the boy's shoulder and hauling him onto his feet, he continued, "You can't win Orochimaru! You /saw/ what happened to Jiraiya-sama! Why are you always so eager to send yourself to your doom! Can't you--"

"So what? So what!" Naruto shook Sasuke's hand off his shoulder. He turned and glared at Sasuke from the corner of his eyes, and Sasuke was immediately taken aback. Instead of staring at angry blue eyes, he found himself looking into furious red irises. As he pondered the possibilities of what it could mean, Naruto ranted on. "So I can't win that stupid snake - and that means I gotta stand here and watch Tsunade-baba die! Bullshit! We've been through this before, Sasuke!" Naruto growled, and his Chakra aura began to glow visibly. "You don't have to come along if you're such a scaredy-cat!"

That, of course, drew Sasuke back into reality. "What was /that!" He pushed Naruto on the shoulder, clearly offended. Naruto fell head-first into the ground again. "/Who/ was the one shaking in his pants when he first saw Orochimaru's grand display of powers, huh?" Sasuke withdrew his sword from his hilt, and turned his eyes upwards to the pavilion, where Orochimaru and his summoned snake was also slithering towards. "Come on, number one scaredy-cat. I got some scars to repay."

By this time, Naruto had gotten his head away from the ground. He stood, a wild, feral grin decorating his countenance. His eyes were still tinted with the dangerous red Sasuke thought he imagined. "Oh yeah," Naruto agreed. "Race ya to the bottom of the pavilion then! Last one there's a rotten egg!" The blond stuck a tongue out at the exasperated Uchiha, before dashing off with loud laughs of how 'Sasuke-is-a-rotten-egg', and several vernacular permutations of like insult.

Sasuke gaped for a whole moment, before realising that he really would become a rotten egg, if he did not try to catch up with the bustling blond now.

------------

"Itachi, Itachi," Orochimaru smirked at the stoic, wordless Uchiha, who was standing atop the roof of the pavilion. "...we had a deal, and our deal has not ended yet. And what is this you're trying to show me now? Betrayal at the most important part of our deal?"

"Hoh..." Itachi uttered, not a single muscle in his face twitching. "I'm surprised, Orochimaru. You still remember we had a deal."

"Do I look senile to you?" Orochimaru retorted, still smiling.

Although it did not seem like a rhetorical question, Itachi wisely refrained from answering. He nevertheless opened his mouth to say something else, "Our deal was on very easy terms, Orochimaru," he started, "and yet you have time and again tested its boundaries." The winds were strong high up in the air, but Itachi's stature never swayed. "Whether or not you are senile, I will remind you again what we agreed on." He closed his eyes, and slowly reopened them to reveal a pair of swirling Sharingan.

"Yes," Orochimaru purred, encouraging Itachi with a voice that was underlaid with what was undoubtedly a trap, "...remind me, please."

Itachi declined to acknowledge Orochimaru, proceeding as if the older man had never spoken at all. "In exchange for your word that the throne be untouched by you until the new monarch is crowned, I have fulfilled your condition to eliminate the Uchiha clan, save the renegade. To cover for that mistake, I pledged allegiance to your cause, until the new monarch ascends the throne. Our deal expressly states that I am free to carry out my own agenda so long as they do not come in direct opposition to yours. Tell me, then," there was a narrowing of Itachi's crimson eyes, "...why have you gone out of your way to breach the condition, that you are not to eye the throne until the next monarch ascends it?"

Orochimaru's smirk did not lessen in any way. "That is because," he said, in a sweet yet sinister voice, ".../I/ am going to be the next monarch!" He laughed, as if it was all very funny to him. "Just think about it, Itachi! If I become the next monarch, you won't have to switch loyalties at all! And you'll continue to be my right-hand man, knowing everything I do and commanding every single official in the land! I don't see what you're so upset about, my boy!" His tone now became slightly more serious. "This isn't about the Uchiha clan's silly pledge of allegiance to a line of kings that has already perished, is it? Huh?" The chortle that escaped Orochimaru's lips was dry and scoffing. "Coming from the boy who massacred the very clan itself to go against that king in the first place? You could have fooled me, Itachi!"

Itachi continued silent and unreadable. He did not deactivate his Sharingan. For that matter, the three dark dots within his irises began to swirl with a dangerous speed. "You do not understand, Orochimaru," he spoke, softly, calmly, "...what I wiped the Uchiha out for. You do not understand what I killed the clan to protect." Silently, he withdrew the sword from the sheath that was hanging upon his belt.

Orochimaru smirked at the challenge.

And then there were no more words.  
****

------------  
7/9/2005  
tougenkyou . net / xd

...hmm... no more review responses in stories. well, we all saw that coming from ten miles away didn't we? XD anyway this new review reply feature seems neat. if you took the trouble to leave a signed review, i'll definitely use it to reply you. not sure how well it really works, though :O did any of you other folks from the previous chapter get my review replies?  



	30. Chapter Twenty Nine

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi ・Shueisha ・Studio Pierrot ・TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

**  
Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.**

----------------------------  
Down The Untrodden Path  
----------------------------  
Chapter Twenty-Nine

It was at this point of time that Naruto barged into the visible scene of carnage that was going on the pavilion rooftop.

"Hey!" The blond screeched immediately. "I'M going to be the one to wipe the floor with Orochimaru's face!!" He pointed at the two blurred figures, caught up in an intricate dance of sword clashes and chakra explosions above him. "Stay away, you busybody... whoever you are!"

Sasuke, somewhere behind, closed the minor distance between him and Naruto to give the blond a sound knock upside the head. "I suggest you stay here and just let the professionals do their stuff."

"I'm the professional around here!" Naruto protested almost immediately. "And you owe me ramen, rotten egg!" He stuck his tongue out in a fantastic display of his professionalism. Sasuke curbed his twitching eyebrow. Nevertheless, he grabbed Naruto by the wrist and hoisted him away from the fighting, ignoring the blond's strangled yelps.

"Leave them alone," Sasuke said softly. "Let him finish what he started."

Naruto stopped struggling when he heard that. He turned his wide, inquiring eyes towards his friend. "What?" Was all he could manage.

Sasuke sighed. He stopped walking, turning around to glance at Naruto, looking tired and weary. Soon, his glance shifted away from Naruto to the two figures in the distance. The two were fighting so quickly, they were nothing more than mere flashes of lines. Sasuke looked so pained that Naruto dared not ask him for more information, merely standing beside his friend and alternately glancing between him and the ongoing fight.

Eventually, it was Sasuke who broke the silence.

"It was Itachi," the boy was saying, his eyes downcast. "He was the one who sent me on my mission."

Naruto felt like someone had just punched him in the guts at that revelation.

"I'll never forget what happened that day," Sasuke continued without taking in Naruto's expression. He turned his face heavenward, closing his eyes and reliving the memories locked deep in his heart. "I'll never forget..."

A bolt of lightning struck in the distance and thunder rumbled overhead.

In the memories of a time long ago, when the kingdom was still peaceful and the Uchiha still existed, two boys dashed towards shelter in the downpour that was starting. The taller one led the shorter one by the hand, until they were safely in the shadows of the shelter by the roadside. The rain slowly got heavier, and the sound of water falling on gravel drowned out nearly everything else.

"I did it, Itachi! I cut that tree off with one slash!" The smaller of the duo shook a fist in the air with one hand and pat the sword hanging by his waist lovingly with the other. "I can't wait to see Kakashi's face when I show him that tomorrow! And now you'll have to get me that new sword like you promised!"

The taller boy - Itachi, laughed softly. "That I will," he agreed amicably, ruffling his younger brother's hair in a fond manner. Turning his glance to the skies, he sighed slightly. "We'll have to wait for a while before this rain completely goes away."

Young Sasuke looked up at his brother with bright, inquisitive eyes. "Isn't today a special day for Father and the Uchiha clan? There's someone special who's coming to visit, isn't there?"

Itachi nodded curtly. "It's Orochimaru-sama. They will be discussing about who will be succeeding the Fourth, and what the Uchiha Clan will be doing then. It's quite an important matter, and I suspect Father would rather not have the children hanging around, bothering them..."

"But Father wanted you to be there!" Sasuke protested. "You're the best Royal Bodyguard ever since the legendary Uchiha Madara!"

"I'm flattered, Sasuke, but a Royal Bodyguard is nothing more than a glorified constable when there is no royalty to protect," Itachi stated matter-of-factly, staring at the open where the rain was falling. "Orochimaru-sama has been discussing the matter of a successor for the throne with the Uchiha for many years, and I suspect his motives are not as pure as he would like the others to believe."

The young Sasuke blinked, Itachi's words slowly sinking in. He may not understand a lot of things at the present moment, but he knew what a premonition felt like. "Is... is something bad going to happen soon?"

Itachi merely looked at his younger brother, his expressions betraying nothing. "If you had to choose one day, Sasuke," he asked, slowly and purposefully, "between the survival of the Clan and the life of the rightful King..."

Another peal of thunder.

"...which would you pick?"

All Sasuke could do, as Itachi awaited his answer, was stare.

And eventually, Itachi turned his head to a side and smiled, sadly. "...that is a decision that might have to be made soon. Sooner than it was ever supposed to be..."

Lightning flashed, and the world was engulfed by pure white.

"You can't do this, Orochimaru!" The voices in the memories from long ago shouted. Itachi and Sasuke were trying to sneak across the main building of the Uchiha house, stopping when they could hear their father's agitated voice from the enclosed hall. "You have no royal blood in you! The people will not acknowledge your ascension, and neither will the Uchiha..."

"I am not giving you a choice, Fugaku," a slimy, deceptive voice interrupted the raging Uchiha. "You know very well what I know about the Uchiha Clan's... certain connections with the, ah, how shall I put it... the /enemy/ side of the war which killed the Fourth. How would the people, the palace react when they hear that it was the Uchiha clan who had given that information that led their beloved king to his doom during the most pivotal part of the war..."

A loud sound cut Orochimaru's words short. The silence and tension that next followed was strained and nervous at the same time. While the adults were doubtlessly trying to stare each other down in the main hall of the house, Itachi took the opportunity to gesture silently to Sasuke. Together, they travelled on the furthest perimeter of the house, against the walls, until they reached the inner buildings of the house, where their rooms were.

The brothers removed their shoes in silence, climbing up the corridors of the building and walking together for a short distance.

It was Sasuke who broke the silence.

"Is it true?" The boy sounded alarmingly old for his age. "Was Orochimaru-sama speaking the truth?"

Itachi said nothing for a while. "The time to decide has come, Sasuke," he eventually said, never sparing his brother a glance. The sun was just setting over the distant mountain. "Go for dinner, and then rest. Meet me in the backyard when the moon hangs directly overhead," he paused, finally turning to look at Sasuke in the eye.

For a long time, the brothers stood rooted to the spot, staring at each other, trying to read each other.

"Go," Itachi commanded lightly. Sasuke hesitated only for a split second, before nodding and heading off in a sprint for his room. Itachi watched until his little brother turned the corner and was no longer in sight.

Then he spun around on his heels and headed back towards the direction of the main hall.

The rain continued to pour until the moon rose, showing no sign of letting up.

Sasuke scrambled over his feet in the darkness, not wishing to activate his Sharingan in case he alerted anybody to his presence. Although this was his house, the events of the day were still fresh in his mind. Orochimaru and his henchmen could still be around, and his father never approved of him sneaking around after dark, anyway. Eventually, he reached the backyard, and the moon was high above in the sky, obscured by the dark, gray storm clouds.

Itachi was already there, and he was staring at something in the sky.

"Itachi?" Sasuke went closer, cautiously.

This jerked Itachi to attention, like he had been so distracted that he had never heard Sasuke approaching. The taller boy turned his head slightly to glance behind him, his eyes tainted blood red and the magatama-shaped dots within orbiting slowly around his irises. "Sasuke," he nodded, then turned around fully to face his younger brother.

"What's going on, Itachi?" Sasuke asked, his chest tight.

Itachi kept staring at him. "You are young," Itachi started, "and weak. There are some things at present that you cannot handle with those small shoulders of yours."

Sasuke simply remained silent, trying but failing to understand what his brother could have meant.

"That is why," Itachi continued, brandishing a sword from behind him, "I am sending you on a mission." He held the sword towards Sasuke, who stepped forward and received it into his hands. Itachi actually smiled slightly at that. "See? I promised you a new sword. It's much better than your older one. It will serve you well for the next few years."

The young boy held the sword close to his chest. He looked up at his older brother, confused. He did want a new sword, and to have his dear brother give him one was something he should be jumping in joy about. But for some reason, the circumstances dulled his feelings of joy. "What mission?" He eventually whispered, understanding that there was a catch somewhere.

There always was a catch with Itachi.

Itachi's smile vanished, and his face returned to being impeccably blank. "Do you remember what I told you this afternoon, when we were on our way back from training?"

Sasuke nodded. "You said we had to make a decision... and soon."

"Have you made your decision?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but shut it without ever saying anything. He gripped the sword tightly, his eyes revealing the depth of his hesitation. "I must protect the Uchiha Clan," he said, his voice shaky, "but the Uchiha Clan must protect the king. How can I choose between the survival of either factions when destroying one means the destruction of the other?" He gritted his teeth. "Is that what you meant, Itachi? That you would rather slay the Clan than let it serve Orochimaru as king? And you want me to help?"

The chilling night winds blew through the backyard, freezing the low mood of the two brothers facing each other.

"I don't need your help, Sasuke," Itachi explained. "My decision is mine alone, and you have no part in it. But tell me, Sasuke..." His voice became wistful, but only slightly. "...will you protect the king?"

"I will," Sasuke replied without hesitation, although he kept his eyes on his feet. "That is what I was born into this Clan for. But," his head snapped upwards, and this time, they shone with the same eerie red Itachi's eyes did. "I will protect no king who usurps the throne for his own selfish reasons. I will protect no one with not a drop of royal blood in him!" His eyes turned towards the ground again, and his hands drooped sadly beside him. "That is the duty I was taught... as a soldier of the Uchiha."

"Then you will do just that," Itachi's hand landed affectionately on his younger brother's head. "You will steal the Sword of Jewels from the vault, then go out of the Palace and find the rightful prince - the only son of the Fourth. This mission will not be a bed of roses. You will be hunted down like an animal by both constables and assassins of Orochimaru. But it will be worth it. It will be worth it when you finally see the king you have been trained to protect ascend the throne and be restored to his rightful position." The taller boy smiled slightly again. "Hasn't it always been your wish to see the king you were trained to serve?"

Sasuke nodded mutely. From since he could remember, he had never forgotten his commission as a bodyguard borne to the Uchiha Clan. If there was something in the world he wanted more than the prosperity of his Clan, it was to see the king who would lead this country away from the chaos it was currently in. He looked up at Itachi, his eyes brimming with feelings. "What about you...?"

Itachi tilted his head to a side. "I have already made my decision, Sasuke, and I cannot burden you with it." He then held a hand out. "Do you trust me?" He asked, his face blank. "Do you trust me enough to accept this mission, Sasuke?"

The smaller boy looked long and hard at the outstretched hand, the whispers of the bitter winds his only counselor.

He stretched his hand out, and took Itachi's in a shaky grasp.

"I will do anything to protect the royal line," there was, however, no lingering in his tone.

Itachi allowed his brother to grasp his hand until he stopped trembling. He then opened his mouth and said, "And after you complete your mission, Sasuke...

"...come home."

Little did Sasuke know, those words would be the only source of strength he had throughout the long and arduous journey he had just chosen to undertake.

"The day I left the Palace," Sasuke finished his recount with a painfully sad look in his eye, "was the day Itachi struck a deal with Orochimaru... the massacre of the Clan in exchange for Orochimaru's word to keep his hands away from the throne until the next monarch took it." He found himself breathing heavily as he looked at his opened palms. "He was right. I was too weak. Too weak to make the right decision... the decision that would've crushed me because I was just that - too weak..." He brought his hands up to his lowered face, covering it with them. "That's why he gave me a mission... a mission to run away from it all while he held the duty of the entire clan up by himself. I can't believe I didn't see it back then... I can't believe..."

He had to stop short because Naruto stomped down hard on his foot.

"Ow!" Yelled Sasuke, who had been caught off guard. He hopped around a little on one foot, nursing his smarting foot. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" He whirled dramatically to address Naruto, angry at the interruption.

His anger evaporated when he came face to face with the calm but serious facade of Naruto.

"You're not weak," Naruto grounded out every word. "Stop saying you are."

Sasuke just stared.

"I don't trust him," Naruto spat, jerking a thumb backwards at where Itachi and Orochimaru were still crossing swords. "But I trust you," his tone softened. "So I'll let your big brother have that snake, while I... while I..." He was at a loss as he looked around the pavilion rooftop for something to do.

"While you gape like a goldfish and try to look smarter than the one-cell being you are?"

"Yeah, while I do that... no wait... SASUKE!!" Naruto whirled around and pointed an accusing finger at his smirking friend, who had his hands crossed in front of his chest. "Why are you always such a snivelling bastard?! Why can't you ever..."

By now, Sasuke had walked behind Naruto and pushed him forward, towards a hole on the rooftop. The blond turned around with a questioning frown on his face, which Sasuke replied with a raised eyebrow. "What, idiot?"

Controlling the tic that threatened to erupt on his forehead, Naruto mumbled, "What is it? You trying to throw me down the hole or something?"

Sasuke waited for one precise second. Then he grinned, almost maniacally, and pushed Naruto into the dark expanse on the floor.

He listened as Naruto screeched all the way down, until he heard the thud that would indicate that he had hit solid ground. He bent slightly and shouted into the hole, "For your sake, I hope you haven't landed on Tsunade-sama, or anything!"

There was silence. Then, "...or anything, my FOOT!! Would it kill you to warn me before pushing me down mysterious black openings, you asshole?! Get down here so I can kick your butt into next week, rawr!!"

Sasuke actually smiled at that. Some things would never change. "Coming, your majesty," he said monotonously, and let Naruto figure out the nuances of that sentence himself. Turning slightly, he glanced one last time in the direction where Itachi was fighting. His eyes clouded over with something like nostalgia, then in the next instant, it was gone, replaced by a hardened glint. He returned his glance to the hole beneath his feet. With a quick hop, he leapt into the hole, allowing the darkness to consume him until he reached the ground of the sheltered pavilion where Naruto and Tsunade were.

There would be time for reunions and happily-ever-afters.

After they exterminated the wicked man, that is. Just like every other story

**----------------------------  
25/12/2007  
tougenkyou . net / xd**

**...has it really been two years?**

**and yes, itachi isha good guy. so i like happy endings and happy families. bite me.**


	31. Chapter Thirty

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi ・Shueisha ・Studio Pierrot ・TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

**Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.**

**x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x  
Down The Untrodden Path  
x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x  
Chapter Thirty**

"Tsunade-no-baachan!" Naruto shouted into the pavilion, aware that she was somewhere around but not knowing where exactly. Due to the pandemonium that was going on at the moment, the pavilion certainly looked like it had seen better days. Debris were strewn around the place haphazardly. Despite the big hole in the roof, the pavilion was cool and dark. "TSUNADE-NO-BAACHAN!!" Naruto raised his voice and stepped forward.

And tripped over a huddled figure in the middle of the chaotic place.

He heard the swish of fabric somewhere behind him, and a soft thud. He could recognise Sasuke's presence - the boy must have leapt down from the same hole he shoved Naruto into. Naruto kept his gripes to himself, choosing to ignore the other boy in favour of the thing he had tripped over.

He didn't need to be a genius to figure out it was Tsunade, even in the darkness. There was no other human-shaped thing that had been in the pavilion before it was almost blew up by Orochimaru, after all.

"Tsunade-no-baachan!" Naruto grabbed a shivering shoulder and shook hard. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Sasuke walk closer. "What's wrong with you?!"

A hand landed on Naruto's head. "Stop shaking her!" Sasuke said, and pulled Naruto backwards.

"Then what am I supposed to DO?!" Naruto shook his head violently, managing to displace Sasuke's hand. "Something's wrong with her, and we have to help!"

"You're not going to help by shaking her silly," Sasuke sighed, lowering himself on one knee. He narrowed his eyes, and the Sharingan appeared. A few seconds passed, before his eyes returned to normal. "There's nothing wrong with her chakra," he stated, and then turned to glance around the surroundings. "We shouldn't leave her lying in the middle of the wreck like this. Let's move her to somewhere brighter."

Naruto nodded tersely. He stretched his hands out and tried to support the shivering Tsunade. "Tsunade-no-baachan, come on, let's go somewhere brighter so we can see what's wrong!"

"Stop talking and just move, moron," Sasuke huffed, going to Tsunade's other side to support her as well. Although Naruto was ready to snap back, he settled for an unhappy sulk instead.

Together, the two of them managed to move Tsunade to the space beneath the hole in the roof, making it easier for them to see her in the light. She was trembling non-stop, and looking vacantly at her upturned palms. Neither Naruto nor Sasuke could see what was so interesting about them, besides the fact that there was a bit of blood on them. The boys turned to stare at each other in confusion.

Eventually, Sasuke shrugged, and Naruto returned his attention to Tsunade. The more he looked at her, the angrier he became. Finally, he rose to full height, towering over the curled up Tsunade, and shouted so loudly, even Sasuke was taken aback. "Get a grip, baa-chan!!" Naruto was saying. "What happened to the woman who was brave enough to turn her back on a freaking /coronation/ just because she didn't see eye to eye with the top brass? Who bet the entire kingdom with me just because she could?!" He pulled the necklace Tsunade had given him out from his neck and thrust it towards her, succeeding in making her look up. "What about the memories of those who live on in this thing? It was a present from your grandfather, wasn't it?" He paused when he noticed her eyes widening slightly. "And I bet he's probably not the only person important to you connected to this thing, am I right."

Sometimes, Sasuke wondered why Naruto always chose to become King Astute only when the situation was nothing short of dire. Up above on the platform roof, he could hear rumblings of massive and powerful jutsu being cast, and he winced slightly when a crumbling plaster hit his head.

"You don't... understand... kid..." Tsunade managed to stutter. "You're not... me... never been through... what... I had... to..."

"No I'm not!" Naruto stamped a foot on the ground. "And I don't understand! Whatever's happened in the past is all over! Why are you still living in it?! Are you really so /weak/ that you can't stop living in its shadow?!" The grip he had on the necklace tightened. Tsunade's trembling stopped for a split second, then restarted. "If your grandfather could see you now, he'd be disappointed! If the people who trusted you enough to ask you to ascend the throne could see you now, they'd be freaked out by this snivelling mush of cowardice you've turned into! In fact," he turned and faced the open air, "since you obviously don't care anymore, then I'll just throw this tacky piece of accessory back to the people, where it rightly be--"

Naruto did not get to finish his sentence, for he was sent crashing into a nearby wall by a great, unseen force of nature.

Which was actually just Tsunade moving at the speed of light.

As she had obviously held back - since Naruto's body merely indented the wall instead of tearing it down while flying towards the next country, Sasuke wisely held back from berating the older woman for being overly harsh.

"You really need to learn when to keep your mouth shut, ya little punk," Tsunade growled, then blew imaginary blood and dust off her fist.

"Yes," Sasuke agreed, while glancing over at the coughing Naruto, struggling to get on his feet, "yes, he really does need to do that."

Naruto himself made no reply until he was standing on his two feet without swaying like he was about to collapse again. He lifted his bruised face and grinned, surprising the duo who were watching him. "See?" He asked cheerfully. "That wasn't too hard, was it?"

Tsunade was the first to understand the full import of his question. She opened her palms - her still bloodstained palms, and stared at them. She waited for a reaction. A tremble of sorts to overtake her again, like it always happened. But nothing happened. The back of her head that was always crying and screaming when she saw blood was quiet and subdued. Almost like that punch on Naruto just now had emptied it out.

"Naruto..." she started, but was unable to continue. The very next moment, a figure came hurtling through the rooftop of the pavilion, reducing another part of it to mere rubble.

Instinctively, Naruto, Sasuke and Tsunade all retreated from the point of impact. More light filtered into the dark place, now that half the roof had collapsed due to some reason or another. Another figure dropped down from the roof and landed on the platform that the others were at.

"Orochimaru!" Sasuke was the first to recognise the newcomer, and he hissed. Orochimaru turned around and smirked at the young Uchiha.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, so nice of you to stick around to watch me kill your older brother and then /take over his body/..." He cackled at the end of his speech, evidently pleased with his plan. "I've been waiting for this moment ever since I manipulated the Council into exterminating the Uchiha... finally... the Sharingan will be mine..."

He was interrupted from his speech when a broken piece of rooftop rubble hurtled towards him at incredible speed. He calmly did away with the large piece of stone by swinging a hand at it, and turned around towards the pile of rubble which was starting to move.

All of a sudden, the rubble silently crumbled into dust, leaving a rather battered looking Uchiha Itachi standing where the rubble used to be, his Sharingan spinning eeriely as he lifted his eyes to stare impassively at Orochimaru.

The older Uchiha wordlessly formed a seal with both hands, and immediately a chakra marking erupted around the floor Orochimaru was standing on. The latter only had to take one look at the marking to determine that it would not be in his best interest to stand there and wait for Itachi to finish his seal. Already he could feel his feet being pulled by the area where the marking was. And the marking was growing bigger even as he thought to himself. He leapt out of the area quickly.

"Oh no you don't," a voice from above snapped him out from his plans of escape, and he recognised it to be Tsunade's. He looked up just in time to see a huge fist coming towards him with incredible speed and force. It hit him before he could even start thinking about how to avoid it, and went crashing back to the area with the seal marking most unceremoniously.

"Tsunade..." he managed to gasp while trying to find his motor abilities again. "I thought... you..."

"Well you thought wrong," Tsunade did not wait for him to finish. She landed on him and used him as a stepping stone to leap back out of the marking. This foiled his attempt to escape once more, and the seal was starting to sap his energy. Powerful illusions were beginning to attack his head, and he had to get out before they overwhelmed him completely. he knew that as long as he took care not to stare into the eyes of the caster, he still had a chance. He struggled onto his feet while keeping his back to Itachi. He leered to himself. Itachi was good, but Orochimaru had the advantage when it came to experience. He looked up, meaning to search for an escape route.

And found himself looking into the eyes of Sasuke's Sharingan instead.

"Orochimaru," Sasuke said, his hands coming together to make the same seals his brother did and his Sharingan spinning in the same eerie way. "This is for messing with the Uchiha..." The hands changed into seal two. "This is for messing with Konoha..." Seal three. "This is for all the pain you gave my brother..." Seal four. "And this... is for trying to take over Naruto's throne...!" The final seal was completed, and the marking glowed with an otherwordly colour. Orochimaru all but collapsed in a boneless heap.

"Well, Sasuke, it's been a long time since we last did this seal together," Itachi was saying. His voice was monotonous but he was smiling in a very subtle manner. "Have you attained the Mangekyou since the last time I saw you?"

"Shut up," Sasuke snapped, but fondly. "And yes, I have."

"Then there's only one jutsu to use," Itachi's hand shifted into another seal the same time Sasuke did. Before they were able to complete the seal, however, they noticed with slight dismay that Orochimaru had somehow managed to climb to the edge of the glowing marking. If he could get his hands free of the marking, he would be able to make seals to escape, and that just would not do.

And of course, Sasuke and Itachi were not the only ones who came to that conclusion.

"Sorry mister, but you're not going anywhere! By order of the King!" The loud and rambunctious voice of Naruto almost made the Uchiha brothers lose their concentration. But of course, they knew better than to show it. There was a flash of what seemed like a thousand glittering jewels, and in the next moment, Orochimaru found himself pinned to the ground with the very sword he had been conspiring to possess ever since he started his career. The shock and irony of the situation was so much that he could only grunt despite the pain.

"Stand back, Naruto!" Tsunade grabbed the boy who had been standing at the edge of the marking and together, they disappeared behind a large, fallen boulder. From there, they observed as the Uchiha brothers finished their seal at the same time.

And together they shouted, "Amaterasu!"

Black flames engulfed the area that was within the marking, burning without sound and glowing without light. The few flames that managed to escape the marking ate up anything it could touch, whether it was the floor or a fallen piece of debris. Naruto and Tsunade watched with morbid fascination as the dark flames slowly subsided and eventually stopped its mad dance of destruction.

Tsunade gulped. If not for the marking which contained the fire, she was sure the entire tower pavilion would have been eaten up whole, with not an ash to even indicate that it had existed before. The fact that she was still in here made her shudder at that thought.

"Kai!" The brothers shouted again, and this time the marking disappeared.

There was nothing left in the area anymore, save the beautiful Sword of Jewels, which stuck out of the charred and sunken floor like a sore thumb.

For the next few moments, there was silence.

"Looks like the area outside is under control as well," Tsunade broke the silence. She was standing at the front of the pavilion and glancing outside. "I guess Jiraiya's tough hide is good for something, at least..." Her comments caused all the other three men to stare at her blankly. "Well, what are you guys waiting for?" She shook her head. "The Coronation still has to take place, you know!" There was a tinge of what sounded like mischief in her voice, but perhaps the boys were merely hearing things. "This place is too dark," her next words, muttered under her breath, caught the boys off guard. They turned to stare at each other, forgetting the awkward tension and sharing a mutual moment of confusion instead.

And that confusion grew into panic when Tsunade started punching down all the walls.

"Baa-chan what the heck do you think you're doing?!" Naruto yelped, trying to duck away from the falling boulders.

"Spring-cleaning, that's what," Tsunade continued to mutter under her breath. After systematically decimating the walls and roof of the pavilion, she took to kicking and punching every piece of debris out of the area until it was clear.

Now they were all standing on top of a roof-less, wall-less platform, with the entire capital staring up at them.

Naruto's eyes flickered to Sasuke, but all he got was a shrug in return. He wanted to look at Itachi, but he could not find himself to trust the older Uchiha just yet. Turning around, he stared instead at Tsunade. She looked back at him and winked.

As Tsunade turned towards the silent audience, Naruto quickly evaluated the situation. The fact that Tsunade had winked, actually /winked/ at him meant that she had something evil up her sleeve, and he was not sure if he wanted to stick around to hear what it was. Should he jump down from the platform now and die a grisly death, or simply walk up to Itachi for help on that? But it was all too late, for while he was yet thinking, Tsunade had already spoke.

"Good people of Konoha!" She declared in a voice so loud, Naruto was almost sure Iruka and Kakashi - who were in the next town, must had heard it. Tsunade then swung around and gestured with an outstretched hand at the area behind her. "Behold, the Sword of Jewels!"

The murmuring from the crowd that was below started to become louder and louder. The Sword of Jewels merely glinted happily in the sunshine, almost as if it was basking in the attention. Naruto wondered if it was possible to flay a sword with itself.

Tsunade suddenly whipped around and stretched her hand out at Naruto this time. "Behold, the only person who is able to handle the Sword of Jewels!" She announced, and all Naruto could do was blink. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

A sudden hush fell upon the entire land. For quite a long time.

"For goodness sake," Sasuke's calm and slightly annoyed voice snapped Naruto out of his frozen reverie. "Just go pull that sword out of the ground, idiot, so that this whole thing can be over and we can all go home." He paused, thinking about something. "And I promise you there will be ramen to be had."

Naruto's eyes lit up at the promise of ramen. "Really?" He asked, then bounced over to the sword when Sasuke nodded tersely. "Okay! Heads up!" He put his hand on the hilt and pulled.

The sword was dislodged from the ground with no difficulties whatsoever.

"Your King and Monarch!" Tsunade's voice sounded out shrilly over the loud cheering that suddenly erupted from the watchful crowd that had been waiting with abated breath for something to happen. The cheering only got louder and louder, until Naruto was almost sure the pavilion was shaking again.

"Finally," Sasuke rolled his eyes, and Naruto remained bewildered. Itachi was the shadow in the background that nobody was paying attention to. "Stop gaping, moron, and just hold the sword up towards the sky or something."

"Don't call me that!" Naruto shrieked and was going to make a face at Sasuke, when an idea hit him. "If I do that, can I have extra pork in my ramen?"

Sasuke was trying not to twitch too much. "You can have anything you want."

That was all Naruto needed to hear. He grinned and thrust the Sword of Jewels into the air as Sasuke had suggested, shouting at the same time. "Oh yes! Ramen!!"

Sasuke was secretly relieved that the crowd's cheering drowned out Naruto's highly inappropriate victory cry.

And he was glad that it was over.

Turning around, he glanced at his brother, who glanced back.

Although they said nothing, a sense of warmth and accomplishment rushed through Sasuke's entire body when Itachi's lips quirked up slightly in an awkward, but tired smile.

He had gone down the untrodden path like Itachi had told him to.

His mission was finally over.

**x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x  
15/6/2008  
tougenkyou . net / xd**

**it's finally over! XD there's still an epilogue, but the main fic is officially finished as of this chapter! thank you all so much for sticking around! i really hope the fic has been a pleasant read at least! XD**


	32. Epilogue

**NARUTO © Kishimoto Masashi ・Shueisha ・Studio Pierrot ・TV Tokyo. All rights reserved. Non-profit fun ahead!**

**Note: Alternate universe. Fluffy friendship. Lots of WAFF! No pairings. You have been warned.**

**x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x  
Down The Untrodden Path  
x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x  
Epilogue**

* * *

"So, like," Naruto scratched his head, "what kind of things do Kings usually do, anyway?"

Sasuke just had to slap his own forehead.

--x

After the coronation, they spent a good amount of time rebuilding, regrouping, and reassuring.

Yes, Orochimaru was gone for good. Yes, the Uchiha have been loyal all this time. Yes, we will be fixing up the capital. No, there will not be a war. No, the people will not suffer because the new King could not tell his left hand from his right.

Iruka and Kakashi arrived from the next town as well, Iruka to help and Kakashi to have a holiday. While Iruka had meetings (lessons, as Naruto liked to call them, seeing how Iruka shrieked at the cowed diplomats like they were his trembling students) with the council every day, the first thing Kakashi did was to find Itachi and give him a hearty, merciless slap on the back.

Watching his older brother almost stumble into the well was quite novel and very amusing, Sasuke noted to himself.

The Hyuuga arrived during the entire fray and requested for the absolving of the marriage agreement they had with the Fourth, which surprised everyone present. Now that the new King had showed up, it was naturally assumed that the marriage would go through. It was quite unlike the Hyuuga, an old and honourable clan which valued integrity more than their lives, to step down from an agreement - and such an important one at that.

But Hinata was firm in her decision. "Give me a chance to forge the agreement by myself," she muttered incomprehensibly. Although Naruto had no idea what she meant, it was not like he was going to say no. ("Yes! Sakura-chan!" He later cheered, only to be whacked upside the head by Sasuke. But nobody was going to hear of /that/ story.)

Shikamaru and Chouji dropped by often with junk food. Naruto later heard that Sasuke had pulled some rank and promoted them to palace captains instead. No wonder they were showing up every other day.

Tsunade had sobered up and joined the palace medics. And she certainly looked much happier there, Naruto was quick to observe.

As for Jiraiya, he set off on a journey after shoving his work and title to Sasuke. One year later, they would find a copy of his latest book in the mail, but that was another story for another time.

One day, Itachi vanished from the Palace. Not that he had been doing much in the aftermath anyway, but it did result in a furore of discussion which was quickly quashed when Naruto started a tirade of shouts and high-pitched wailing.

Sasuke knew where his brother went, of course, but he was certainly not telling.

--x

"Are you sure?" Sasuke had asked Itachi on the day of his departure.

"It is too soon, Sasuke," Itachi was saying. "They still do not trust me, and my presence here will only distract them and make them grow to distrust you eventually."

"I don't care," the younger boy was stubborn. "I don't care what the others think. You did what you had to. We all did."

Itachi smiled wanly. He reached out and put a hand on Sasuke's head.

"You've done a good job, Sasuke," he congratulated the boy softly. "I'll be back when things are more settled."

With those words, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Sasuke?" Naruto's head peeked out from behind a pillar. "Help, please? Iruka-sensei's scolding, I mean, discussing stuff with the council again, and I think they're just about ready to blow up the entire main hall..."

Sasuke turned around and fixed Naruto with an unreadable stare. "Isn't it about time you learnt how to do such things yourself?" He asked.

"Why should I when I have you with me?" Was Naruto's cheery answer.

Sasuke wanted to sigh, but he settled for a smile instead. He turned and walked towards the direction of the main hall, a dumbstruck Naruto trailing behind.

"You smile!" Naruto sounded delirious.

"Yes, and you stink," Sasuke retorted.

"No I don't, bastard!"

"That's what you think, moron."

"Lackey!"

"Brainless twit."

"What!"

"Careful now, wouldn't want to strain your only brain cell."

"Sasuke!!"

And so it went on and on, down the untrodden path.

**x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x  
15/6/2008  
tougenkyou . net / xd**

**this fic was started in october 2004. it is now june 2008. has it already been almost four years? O.O throughout this entire period, i am very grateful for the support and encouragement from all the readers on ffnet. through the good times and the bad, the long delays and the sudden bursts of inspiration, you were always there, cheering for the fic to go on and putting in a helpful comment or two. thank you all so very much for being such great readers, and really hope to see you guys around! XD  
**


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